


ANDANTE

by allhailthequin



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Female Damian Wayne, Genderswap, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:14:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25652680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allhailthequin/pseuds/allhailthequin
Summary: "Is it too late if I want us to make everything up... slowly, like Andante?" - Damian WayneDamian Wayne is a high school violinist who has a crush on Dick Grayson, her stepbrother. She thinks that her love story is ended since Barbara Gordon's arrival in their lives, especially when Dick announced his relationship with Barbara without knowing that her love story continues when she accidentally met Jason Todd.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson/Damian Wayne, Jason Todd/Damian Wayne, Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne, Talia al Ghul/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne
Comments: 75
Kudos: 145





	1. FORBIDDEN FEELINGS

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“𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 - 𝑰'𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍."

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Damian sighed. 

The days passed were increasingly depressing. Her recital will be held in two months, and Damian cannot be lethargic, considering that she had to defend the reputation of her father for he was a famous composer and conductor. Dusk was over when Damian walked back to the apartment she shared with her stepbrother. The violin case was on her right-hand side. She was so tired, and she missed her brother so much. Since the preparation for the recital was started, she barely met him because the poor girl had to leave in the morning and came home in the evening.

What a wonderful life, she thought.

Damian stepped slowly while feeling the breeze gently blowing strands after strands of her long black hair. Beautiful, like her mother ─ with emerald eyes and semi-exotic skin she possessed, and that magnificent jade eyes fixed on the view of the harbour, seeing how sun sank itself. A second later, her steps suddenly stopped, when her jades accidentally record a silhouette of a girl danced. It was ballet, which reminded her of Dick, her brother.

"Beautiful," Damian whispered.

While Damian drowned by the silhouette's beautiful movements, a man's voice behind her calling her name. "Dami?" Damian turned her head to the back and saw Dick stood right behind her, smiling. "I just got back from the supermarket. Our fridge is empty, you know?" he chuckled. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, that—" Damian quickly turned her gaze back towards the harbour, but nothing she could get. The girl left already.

“She is gone…” she said, and Dick only raised one of his eyebrows in confusion.

“Who?”

“I saw a girl danced, there. She was moving beautifully. Just like yours.”

"Like my movements? She is a professional, then," he joked while grabbing Damian's hand, continue their way to the apartment. Damian shook her head.

"Almost surpassing you, but still, my brother is the best!"

"Why, that's so sweet of you, Dami,”

And Damian's cheeks turned red.

This Dick Grayson was the most famous dancer in Gotham for he can master many of dance genre; especially in Ballet.

Dick was adopted by Bruce Wayne when he was 8 years old, and Damian was born a few years after Tim came to the manor. Only Damian was the biological child of Bruce and Talia. However, a few years since Damian was born, Bruce and Talia did not get along due to Bruce's Playboy character. All their fights made Damian depressed. Until when Dick was legal, he asked to move from the manor and brought Damian with him to Blüdhaven.

Dick was her saviour, her protector. He saved her from depression, brought back the smile to her pretty face once again. And all the care and attention he gave her make she realized her feelings for him.

Damian was in love with Dick, her own brother.

"How's your preparation?" asked Dick when silent started to fill them.

"Not good," Damian said. She puffed her cheeks while pouting, showing that she was mad. "I am not in shape yet. And I don't practice enough. I got mad because of my stupidity, again."

Dick chortled at his sister's protest.

"Really? But I think you're so amazing with your violin. Like... you can play Paganini's Caprice no. 24 when you were only 6 years old. Not much can do that, you know?"

Damian's jade eyes continued to look ahead.

"That's because I'm Bruce Wayne's daughter."

Dick only stared at her as a response. Damian was like this at all times; did not want to disappoint Bruce. Since Damian was born, Bruce already decided her fate that she has to be a professional violinist. Bruce bought a violin for her 2nd birthday. At first, Bruce let her played the violin by herself, made a bad, noisy sound, but it turned out that she liked it. When she was 3, Bruce hired a professional violinist to teach her. She was a quick learner, and at six, she had her first recital. Damian became the pride of Wayne's family, even Alfred, the butler, always praised and became a loyal spectator of Damian's practice at the manor. Actually, it was not only Damian who was becoming a pride for both Bruce and Talia, but all of them were. Dick, he became one of the best dancers in Gotham and Blüdhaven. As for Tim, he became Bruce's successor. How his fingers danced on the white and black tuts was lovely and his ability to write songs also made him suitable for it. Tim also hoped that he can guide an orchestra in large halls, just like Bruce. Both of them, Dick and Tim, free to choose their path, although, in the end, Tim's choice fell to become Bruce's successor. And unlike them, Damian was probably the most restrained child among all of them, because she is the biological child of Bruce and Talia, thus they both put their hopes on her.

Minutes later they arrived at their apartment and Dick proceeded to the kitchen, making dinner. Damian laid on the couch, sighing deeply.

"I'm so tired~"

Dick chuckled at that.

"What do you want for dinner?" He asked while putting on an apron. Damian sat herself up then bit her lower lip, thinking.

"I think a bowl of cream soup will be good."

"Noted."

The room smells of food while Dick was cooking. A warm scent which was the opposite of the manor’s that seemed cold. They chattered for a while until Dick’s phone was ringing and he asked Damian to pick it up.

“Hello.”

“ _Dami.”_

Damian’s face stiffened up.

“Oh… it’s you, mother.”

_“It’s been a long time since I heard your voice. How are you guys doing?”_

She exchanged glances with Dick when he asked, 'what's going on?' noiselessly and Damian only shrugged.

“We are okay,” she replied, biting her lower lip. She felt anxious right now because whenever their parents call them, mostly it was led to another bad thing.

_“There’s something… father will switch the phone.”_

I know it, something bad happens, she said inwardly. Damian sighed. Dick already finished the cooking and took off his apron then walked closer to her.

“Why don’t you say it by yourself—hey!”

Damian gave a little cry when Dick took the phone forcefully.

“What happened?” he asked and walked to the balcony at the same time, leave the confused Damian alone then propped himself up against the balcony railing while looking at the night view of Blüdhaven.

_"Do you and Dami have some free time tomorrow? I want to talk to you about a few things."_

"I'll ask Dami. You want us to come to the manor?"

_"Yes. Lunchtime."_

"Fine," he answered then kept the phone away from his ear when Bruce turned off the line.

Dick sighed heavily. He knew that Damian did not like being in the manor. Its cold and lonely vibes reminded her of the depression she had experienced several years ago. He stared at the night view in silent, thinking of the best way to asked Damian.

“Damn it,” he whispered.

Just when he convinced himself to talk directly to Damian, his eyes inadvertently saw a silhouette of a girl’s dancing in the hotel building around 3 o’clock from his position. She did not close the curtain, resulting in Dick could see the reflection of the golden yellow light clearly with every beautiful movement she made.

Tears fell to his cheeks, unconsciously.

She was moving beautifully, aesthetically, and Dick have never seen anybody danced like that. Dick was almost drowned in her dance if Damian did not come to the balcony.

“Grayson? Why it took you so long?” she asked, quite worried. Dick can sense it through her voice. The startled Dick wiped his tears quickly. He smiled at Damian.

“Nothing. Bruce asked whether we can come to the manor tomorrow. Do you have time?”

Damian frowned, did not like the idea.

“I do, but they actually want us to come over… it’s nothing good for sure,” she said.

“Do they want to divorce?”

“Hell, I don’t know If I should be happy or not. Part of me wants them to do so as soon as possible. They are always fussing over small things anyway. And don’t forget how they’re always complaining, too! So stupid!” she continued while crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her beautiful face looked angry and upset, but Dick did not find it creepy at all. His sister even looked very cute and adorable, but her face suddenly darkened after a second.

“Yet I still want them to get along, just like when I was a child.”

The sight broke Dick’s heart.

“Well… we should pay them a visit, though. It’s been a long time since our last visit. Now, let’s eat dinner, shall we?”

Damian nodded.

“Okay. They are making me hungry, anyway.”

Dick laughs. He ruffled Damian’s hair, making her blushed.

He successfully brought the smile to her face again tonight.


	2. COVETOUSNESS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara finally came into Damian's life. Instead of making Damian feel happy, she made Damian feel insecure and questioned what she meant to Dick.

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𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏

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Today was the gloomy day to meet the parents. Both Damian and Dick now arrived and were walking in the yard. Damian grimaced as she gazed at the manor's dim aura.

The Wayne Manor was always so quiet, notably after Dick and Damian moved to Blüdhaven. Plus, approximately a year ago, Tim went to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music, which required him to leave the manor. Besides, the whole fight between Bruce and Talia also did not help to warm the atmosphere.

“I always wonder when Tim will be home. He is supposed to come home every semester break, but since none of us stayed here anymore… he said to me he doesn’t want to,” Damian stated, which was replied by Dick’s soft giggles before Alfred welcomed them.

“Master Dick, Mistress Damian. It’s been a long time.”

“Alfie!” Dick cried as he hugged the butler with a tight one. He released him a second later.

“It’s been months. How are you?” Dick's curiosity sounded out.

Alfred smiled.

“I am fine as you can see. Thank you for asking. Let me escort you to the dining room.”

“Is mother also there?” Damian asked while proceeding through the hall.

“Yes, Mistress Damian. Both Master Bruce and Mistress Talia are waiting for your arrival.”

Damian bit her bottom lip, pretty unsure whether she should ask about how they are doing while she is gone. She was curious but too afraid to hear any unpleasant answer. Alfred, who was aware of what Damian was thinking, opened his mouth, “They are doing fine, Mistress Damian, even though I still hear their little arguments, sometimes. But that’s them," he said.

Hearing that, Damian formed a little smile, feeling a bit glad after knowing that.

It did not take a long time for them to arrive at the Wayne’s dining room. Talia greeted them with a warm smile.

“Welcome, Damian. Welcome, Dick.”

“Mother,” Damian said then took a step closer to her mother. They hugged each other while Dick did the same to Bruce.

“We’ve been missing you,” Bruce said to his children. "Take a seat and let's eat our lunch."

They agreed then conversed while eating their lunch in peace until Dick started to question the reason why Bruce and Talia want them to come to the manor. He asked, “what’s so important this time?” which was responded by Bruce’s confused gaze.

“Hmm… this is hard to start,” Bruce answered and Damian solely tightened her fists.

“…are you guys finally gonna divorce?”

All eyes looked at Damian who was keeping her head down.

“Divorce…” Bruce repeated to himself then threw his head to the left where Talia quietly ate her lunch. “Wanna do that?”

Damian’s eyes grew larger. Her body started to shiver.

No… this is not what she wants.

“Divorce procedures are annoying and I’ve tolerated you until today anyways, even though your attitude is like shit,” Talia said, responding to Bruce’s divorce idea. Bruce snorted at his wife’s statements.

“What do you mean by shit?! Can’t you say something nicer?”

“What else am I supposed to say! For a person like you, ‘shit’ is good enough!”

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING, YOU HAG?! YO—"

“So, it’s not about divorce. Then what is it?” Dick asked, cutting off Bruce and Talia's debate after he silently put his hand upon Damian’s tiny hands, trying to calm her tremble. Both of Dick and Damian were already too exhausted of their endless quarrel. Bruce diverted his gaze towards his oldest son.

“Well… actually, a few days ago, a person whom I considered family passed away. I'm sure you've heard the story about him—James Gordon. And now I’ve decided to take good care of his daughter. She's been in Gotham and been here since a few days ago. She said she’s lonely. You know, there are no peers here in the manor since you two live in Blüdhaven and Tim is in Cleveland. I asked Jason to stay here for a while, but he said he's on a lot of projects so he can't leave The Outlaws.”

Damian was eyeing her father.

Jason Peter Todd.

He was the leader and the drummer of an underground band called The Outlaws, as well as a student from Wayne Music Institute plus Bruce's proud student. He was a kind of person that... it was hard for Damian to explain, but 'riot' might be one of the right words. She had no idea how Jason did it, but he managed to win over Bruce and Talia’s heart until they wanted to adopt Jason as their child. However, Jason refused, and no one knows why. Even though Dick and Tim already considered him as a brother, it was quite difficult for Damian because Jason mostly annoyed her, making the relationship between them more like 'frienemies' than siblings.

Speaking of Jason, it had been a long time since the last time she saw him. Damian began to wonder how is he doing.

“That’s why I want you to host her,” Bruce continued and Dick jumped afterwards.

“Hold—hold on!” His face stiffened. “What?!”

Bruce put his cold expression, not triggered by Dick’s unexpected growl.

“Can you two let her stay at your place for a moment?” He quoted.

Dick sighed, put his hand on his forehead then back to his seat.

“You took her in all by yourself without telling me and Damian, and now you want us to host her? Are you out of your mind, Bruce? I did not put any expectation upon Bruce but you, Talia?”

Damian held Dick’s hands. It was her turn to diminish her brother’s anger.

They were always like this, take turns the role of water when the other is full of rage.

“I told you she’s lonely. She needs someone of her age to talk to,” Bruce said.

Dick closed his eyes.

“Only for a moment, right?”

“Only for a moment.”

Dick sighed once again and then opened his eyes.

“Sure. Where is she?”

“In her room. I prohibited her to join our lunch since I need to discuss her to you.”

“We’d like to meet her.”

After their finished their lunch, Bruce and Talia guided Dick and Damian to the girl's room. Damian could feel that her brother was still irritated thus she gently stroked Dick's back without stopping, hoping that it would completely dampen Dick's anger. In fact, Damian was also somewhat reluctant to accommodate other people in their apartment, considering that there were only two bedrooms there and Damian felt that she needed privacy. However, getting annoyed was definitely not needed right now. By stifling her own anger and reducing Dick's was the wisest step.

Damian froze when she heard Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Op. 20. Dick who realized the sudden stop, looked at his little sister in confusion.

“Dami, what’s wrong?” he questioned.

Damian scanned right at his brother’s iris. “It’s Tchaikovsky’s… Swan Lake Op. 20.”

Bruce, who stood right in front of a room, smiled softly.

“See for yourself, and you’ll figure out why you hear it.”

Following their father's words, Damian and Dick drove over to Bruce. Instantly their two eyes widened in shock after their gaze accidentally fell to what was inside the room.

Their eyes spotted a girl who danced magnificently.

Her moves really fitted the rhythm, melody, and the song’s theme—Swan Lake, suitable for her to reflecting Odette, the beautiful swan. Even Dick was watching her in awe.

Somehow Damian reckoned the movements.

Pieces of memories started to gather inside Damian’s mind for a moment, and seconds later, she gasped.

“THE HARBOUR GIRL?!”

The girl shocked at the sudden noise. She stopped her dance and turned over her body.

“Uh… hi?”

Bruce took a step forward.

“Barbara, these are my children. Dick, Damian, this is Barbara Gordon,” he said as Talia approached Barbara then twined her hand onto Barbara’s shoulder.

“She’s pretty, right? And don’t forget her dancing skill. You are her suitable companion, Dick.”

While Dick silently hid his blushing face, Damian stared at the unbelievable girl.

She was tall, skinny and flawless—pretty. Damian’s gaze dropped to her own legs. She began to compared Barbara’s to herself.

Damn. Cannot believe that she was this short.

Barbara formed her best smile as she approached Dick and Damian. Their eyes—Dick and Barbara’s—crossed. Time felt like stuck, not moving at all while their ears cannot hear anything for a moment until Barbara distracted herself; looking down at her feet then took her head up once more, stared at Dick’s handsome face.

“My name is Barbara Gordon. I’ve heard about you. You must be Richard John Grayson, Bruce and Talia’s oldest son,” she remarked and looked at Damian afterwards. “And you must be the Princess of Wayne, Damian, the youngest.”

Princess of Wayne.

It was the epithet bestowed to Damian by the public, which she did not know where was it come from for ‘Princess of Wayne’ started to fill in every first page of newspapers on the next day after her first recital. She found it ridiculous but did not hate it.

Still, hearing it directly made her feel uncomfortable.

“Uh…” Damian bit her bottom lip then laughed nervously. “Hello, Miss Gordon.”

Barbara looked at Damian with a slightly surprised glance but then smiled at her, even wider than before.

“Nice to meet you, Damian.”

From that day on, Barbara lived in Damian and Dick's apartment, bypassing Dick's conditional agreement between him and Bruce, such as not having Barbara lived there for more than a year, and she had to go back to the manor once Tim came home one day. It turned out that Barbara was indeed the Harbour Girl, but Damian herself was not very amused, because as she had expected, Barbara would be taking up her room, hence she felt that she had lost her privacy. According to Damian, even though Barbara was nice, she was quite annoying. She kept talking to Damian every night when she was going to bed or when Damian was sketching in her sketchbook. She even talked to her when Damian needed to concentrate for she was composing a piece for her solo violin.

And what bothered her the most was... the closeness between Dick and Barbara that became more and more inseparable each day. Since Dick found out that he and Barbara liked the same field, they became even closer, like they have their own world. They even choreographed a ballet together, which of course made Damian uncomfortable. The reason was, the two of them had become very close in various ways. Dick became more and more spending time with the girl. The simple activities that Damian usually do with Dick have changed. Her position there seemed to be slowly replaced by Barbara.

She felt isolated as if being nobody in her apartment.

And Damian disliked this kind of situation. She did not like to be replaced by anything, by anyone. And above all, she felt like she will lose her beloved brother sooner or later.

For God's sake, Damian hates her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is so lame and bad but... thank you for reading this. It means a lot :')


	3. DAMIAN'S WORST FEAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About Damian, who felt increasingly detached from the relationship between herself, Dick and Barbara.

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"𝑰'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒉. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅... 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒚."  
  
---  
  
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That evening was the first fight between Dick and Barbara. Damian did not know how the chronology was, because as soon as she opened the apartment door, she was greeted by the yells of Dick and the sight of Barbara who was crying as she ran outside; saying sorry. It was the first time she thought that Dick was scary.

Damian hurriedly put her violin case on the floor then walked over to her brother.

"What happened?" she asked as she looked at the opened door.

Initially, Dick chose to remain silent, not wanting to answer Damian's question. Yet, Damian continued to shower him with the same inquiries, making Dick could not help but gave her an answer.

"She bothered me. I was stressed out, and…"

“And?”

“You know exactly if I currently have work to do. I have to make a choreography for a famous singer, and I don't have much time. But she insisted that I should take a rest. I know my limit, Dami. You understand me, but she's different—she doesn't understand my job at all.”

Damian sighed then marched towards the door and putting on her shoes. Troublesome, she thought.

“I’m going to go look for Barbara,” she said.

Dick breathed.

“She’s on the roof, probably. I heard her footsteps going upstairs,” he stated.

“Sure, I’ll go there,” Damian said while nodding. “And… Grayson, I know she’s troublesome but at least prepare your apologies while I go there.”

And Dick did not answer anything until Damian was out of sight.

Damian proceeded to walk up the stairs. She really could not stop thinking about Barbara. Who does she think she is? Damian, who officially is Dick's younger sister, did not dare to interfere with his brother's work, but Barbara dared to bother him. Is she starting to think that she is his wife?

“Damn it, Gordon,” she grumbled as her eyes spotted the crying Barbara who was sitting on a bench. She decided to approach her.

“Here you are,” she said. Barbara startled at the sudden voice. She looked up.

“…Dami?”

Damian’s face did not radiate hospitality. However, the worry was clear in her eyes even though she was not aware of it herself.

“What’s wrong? What did you do? Grayson never gets that mad.”

“I-it’s my fault,” Barbara said, in her trembling voice. “It’s because I bothered him. I kept telling him to rest.”

Damian sat next to her.

“You shouldn't bother Grayson while he's at work,” Damian remarked, without realizing if Dick was already there, tried to approach them but Barbara’s sudden cry stopped him.

“B-but it’s not good for his health!” she shouted. “He doesn’t sleep… he doesn’t eat, and he keeps taking those pills.”

Pills.

Damian now knew what Barbara was worried about. Indeed, if Dick is busy, he relies on supplements. Sometimes, Damian was worried too. She also likes to remind her brother to eat when Dick has lost track of time. However, it seemed like Barbara was being too pushy this time.

“Don’t worry, they’re just supplements—”

“No, it’s not good!” Barbara snapped, cutting off Damian. Damian and Dick stared at her in surprise.

“Inside… there were also pills containing strong doses of caffeine. My dad also used to take something similar. He told me that when he took them, he didn’t feel sleepy, so he can work a lot. My dad… my dad died from overworking. Dick will die too!” she continued.

And Damian’s eyes grew larger.

“Dick will die! I don’t want that!”

Dick convinced himself to go over to Barbara. He took a step, then knelt in front of the girl. Meanwhile, Damian was surprised by Dick's sudden arrival.

“Grayso—”

“Barbara, let’s go back inside.”

And Damian's head was blank.

Her Grayson cut off her words and did not even hear, did not look at her for a second. Barbara only shook her head, causing Dick to took a deep breath.

“Look. I’m sorry… for yelling at you,” he said, made the gloomy girl paid attention to him.

“I’m sorry for acting out of place,” she replied within her cry. “But please take care of your health.”

“Okay, I will,” Dick responded then pull her hand—taking her inside.

Damian stared at them; speechless.

She felt that Dick is different.

Whenever he was around Barbara, he was changed—different from Dick she knew.

She clenched her fists. The fear of losing Dick filled her heart even more.

She hates Barbara Gordon.

At night things were getting better. Dick and Barbara had reconciled after Dick took great pains to calm Barbara down and finally, they danced, which of course made Damian's emotions flared-up.

Well, a beautiful night for them, but a nightmare for Damian for she can heard their laughs from her bedroom, resulting in her throwing her plushie.

“Fuck it!” she cried then groaned when she found out that Dick and Barbara did not hear it at all.

Damn. They seemed to be in their own world.

She kind of feeling irritated and confused for a lot of things were starting to change.

Damian hugged her pillow tightly. Her heart ached.

Dick was Damian’s first love. She used to dream of becoming his wife. Only Tim and Dick who knew about it, even though it was just Tim who knew that Damian was serious about that, figured it out by himself, making Damian mad and avoided him for weeks and Tim did not stop to make fun of it for years.

She laid down, tightly hugged the bolster beside her.

Dammit. When she needed Tim, Tim was not there. She truly wanted Tim to take her away right now, far away from Dick and Barbara.

A second later, her phone rang. She picked up her phone and smiled when she saw Tim’s name on the screen. Damian answered it without hesitation.

_“Hi, Dami. How are you?”_

“Tt—why do you call me?” she snapped, even she did not mean to. It was just so hard for her to show if she was kind of miss him at the moment.

_“Well… I heard about that girl, Barbara Gordon. Just want to know whether you can get along with her or not.”_

Damian bit her bottom lip, a bit harder than usual. She tried her best to hold back her tears so that Tim would not hear her sobs.

“She annoyed me. I hate her.”

_“Hm? Did Dick give her more attention than you?”_

Damian’s eyes grew bigger. She frowned afterwards.

“DAMN YOU, DRAKE!”

And she can hear Tim’s laughter on the other side.

“Tt—I’m hanging up,” she said and truly did.

She can saw Tim sent messages to her, but did not open all of them. She was so mad.

"Stupid Drake," she mumbled as she slowly went to sleep.

The next day went on like Damian's usual routine, with slight changes such as the sight of Dick and Barbara making breakfast together in the kitchen. It had been over a week that the girl has been staying in her apartment with Dick, and that means getting closer to the day of her recital. She was actually rather happy about that because she could leave early—by skipping breakfast—and come home later than usual, of course with the excuse that her schedule was busy. She just could not saw Dick, who was unconsciously closer to Barbara than to her, like before.

She felt like... forgotten.

Damian sighed as she leaned against the window in her classroom. It was late afternoon and she had to go to practice her recital at the Wayne Music Institute.

Just as she was about to step outside the classroom, her classmate, Jonathan Kent, blocked her way.

“Tt—” Damian looked at him in an unfriendly way. “What do you want, Jon?”

Jon stared right at her eyes.

“Do you have time?”

“Well… I don’t, so make it short,” Damian said as she noticed how sweating he was. Jon took a long, deep breath before saying, “Uh… Dami. I-I like you.”

And Damian’s eyes got bigger.

“What?”

“I like you, Dami,” he quoted.

Damian swallowed her saliva, not sure what kind of respond she should give him.

“Uh… thanks, I guess,” she replied.

“Damian. Would you be my girlfriend?”

And Damian was never more shocked than this.

She took her head down.

“Jon… sorry, but I can’t.”

Jon only smiled, stared at her, full of affection even though it seemed that his heart was hurt. Damian knew that very well.

“It’s okay, Dami. I just felt that I would regret it if I didn't confess my feelings. Oh, and good luck with your recital. I will come.”

Damian gave her best smile.

Jon was too kind.

She did not deserve him.

“Thank you, Jon,” she said then left Jon alone.

Damian stepped briskly down the school hallway. She covered her mouth with one hand, weeping silently. She felt guilty for Jon, very, very guilty. She could feel that Jon was honest about his feelings, but Dick filled her heart and mind.

Dear God, she fuckin' loves him.


	4. CHANCING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian heard something that broke her heart. She unconsciously went to the Wayne Music Institute and accidentally met Jason Todd.

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𝑳𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚, 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅-𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒎

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“I’m home,” Damian said as she opened the door but then gasped when she saw Dick lied on the carpet, sleeping.

“What the fucking hell, Grayson?! Go sleep in your bedroom!”

“Dick just finished his work, took a shower, and then collapsed,” Barbara replied while cutting the onion. A smile carved on her pretty face. “He said to wake him up after 3 hours.”

Damian bit her bottom lip then walked towards the cooking girl.

“Hey, Barbara,” she said and leaned against the fridge afterwards. “Today, a boy confessed to me.”

Barbara stopped her activity and looked right at Damian’s jade eyes.

“Conf—what?”

“He asked me out.”

Dick, who was not completely sleeping at the moment, still can hear exactly what his sister was saying and opened his eyes in shock.

“WHAT?!” he let out a cry, making both of the girls screamed.

“WHAT THE FUCK, GRAYSON?!”

“WHAT KIND OF GUY?!” Dick yelled once more, and the girls only stared at him with a shock expression.

“Well… it’s Jonathan Kent. You know him,” Damian said, still in dismay because of her brother’s sudden cry. And Dick did not relax after hearing who was the one that dares to ask his sister out. In fact, he was sitting very upright now.

“What a cheeky brat! And what did you do?!”

“What? I politely declined, of course,” Damian responded as she frowned. She really cannot understand why her brother would mind it this much.

Dick sighed in relief.

“I see… okay.”

“What’s your problem? It’s just Jon did ask me to be his girlfriend!”

Dick put his body down again.

“It’s too early for you to get a boyfriend.”

Damian’s face hardened for she could not accept that her brother was controlling her life strictly.

How dare he.

“What? You already had a girlfriend during your 2nd year of middle school! Look who’s talking!”

“I’m a guy, so it’s different.”

And Damian’s anger started to fuel up.

“That’s so selfish of you!” she shouted at the time when she crossed her arms in front of her chest, showing that she was angry, but Barbara only laughed, finding that their quarrel was cute and Damian cannot understand what was on her mind. She groaned.

“Damn you! I’m so allergic to stupid people to the point I can’t hold myself more than one hour in the same room with the likes of you!” she yelled then went to her bedroom and shut the door.

She cannot believe how can she ended up being under the same roof with the idiots.

Damian sighed and took a step closer to her bed and throw herself on it.

She was definitely mad, but she cannot lie to herself if she was happy that her brother still paid attention to her, that he was actually worried about his little sister and perhaps she did not have to worry. At least, it can heal the wound even for a bit.

Minutes later, Damian fell asleep, unconsciously, and Barbara woke her up half an hour later for dinner.

And the night passed by with their laughter and Damian’s little scolding.

It was peaceful.

Days passed and Damian was getting busier with her recital preparations. She could not wait to show off the fruits of her hard work as the concert would be her first performance in presenting Zigeunerweisen Op. 20, even Tim had said that he would come to watch Damian's recital so that she could not embarrass herself in front of the young man, considering that they often competed in musical skills even though they played different instruments and she could not wait to show her Zigeunerweisen to Dick tonight.

She opened the door happily.

“I’m home~!”

But only silence welcomed her.

She stepped in doubtfully. Indeed, she came home early because Bruce was satisfied with the results of today's practice, but the apartment should not be this quiet.

“Grayson? Barbara?”

No response at all.

She frowned. She knew very well that neither Dick nor Barbara had any schedule today, so she was sure that they would stay at home. She quickly checked the contents of the refrigerator when she thought that they might go to the supermarket to buy groceries. However, the refrigerator was also fully stocked. Damian closed it while biting her bottom lip, wondering where they were going, and shook her head when the thought of they were having a date crossed her mind.

Until she heard a faint sound from behind Dick's door.

She walked towards it.

Damian can hear clearly that someone was moaning inside and she knew exactly whose voice was it.

Barbara’s.

Damian stared at the door in disbelief.

Impossible. It was even worse than a date.

“Dick… ah—what if Dami’s already come home?”

“There’s no way, nghh—she usually comes home late.”

“B-but—"

“Sshh. Focus on me, Babs.”

Another moan was heard.

“I love you.”

“I love you more, Dick.”

And Damian's world seemed to collapse.

She just stared blankly at the door in front of her and slowly moved away from there, stepping out while bringing her violin case.

Damian walked out of the building, walking aimlessly.

Her tears started to fell down; she was silently crying. 

She just wanted to stay away, as far as possible from his brother and that girl.

“Damn it…” she said as she sobbed. Her heart hurt so much.

And, without realizing it, her legs took her back to the Wayne Music Institute. She stared at the building in front of her with puffy eyes. The sky was already dark, so there should not be anyone inside.

“Tt—stupid. They must have locked the door,” she mumbled to herself but did not stop her hand to push the front door.

Unlocked.

She frowned, found it odd that the door was not locked by the time the sun had set. The reason was, she should have been the last to use this building as usual. 

Damian went inside and found nobody.

“But the lights are on…” she said as she started to wonder about who comes here at this time.

She proceeded to go further until her ears can catch the faint sound of an instrument.

Drum.

Damian continued to follow the source of the sound until finally she came to a room and found a young man playing the drums.

Her eyes grew bigger.

That was Jason Todd.

Damian watched him in awe.

He was exceptionally good.

Yet, it felt like… he was expressing the painful things he has been through with his way of playing.

And he stopped at the time he realized that there was someone else. He looked at the door and found Damian stood there, watching him; speechless.

“Damian?”

Damian startled when she heard Jason called her name. She only stared at him without saying anything. Jason frowned.

“What are you doing here?”

Damian's face flushed red. She felt embarrassed because she was caught watching Jason's drumming secretly.

“W-what’s your problem, Todd?! This is my father’s institute. I can come here whenever I want!” she said, yelling a bit.

Uncivil as usual, Jason thought and a second later his eyes spotted a violin case in Damian’s hand.

“You bring your violin,” he said. “Wanna do a duet?”

“What?” Damian snorted. “There’s no way I would do it with someone like you!”

“Well, if you refuse, I can say that you are afraid.”

“What?”

Jason smirked.

“That you refused because you are afraid of being challenged by my skills and it proves that you really are lousy.”

Damian’s face stiffened up.

“FUCK YOU, TODD! I’M NOT AFRAID. BRING IT UP!” she said as she opened up her violin case then took the violin out from it. She put the shoulder rest on and tightened up the bow.

“I’m ready, you asshole!”

And Jason cannot hold his smile anymore. He grinned widely.

“Sure. Improvisation, shall we?”

“Bring the beat in!”

Hearing the order, Jason began to beat the drums. Damian did nothing at first, only listened at the beat, but seconds later, when she already used to it, she started to move her hand and fingers, play with her violin.

They did it spontaneously. Jason only made the beat at the moment and also Damian. She created the melody within her mind only for seconds then pour it in their duet.

It was Presto, 168-200 bpm.

They did it for minutes and when they were finished, a wide smile carved in both of their faces—the expression of satisfaction.

Jason and Damian laughed.

“Damn, can’t imagine that you can be this good, Todd,” Damian said as she put her violin inside the case. Jason grinned at the praise.

“Well, you’re not bad either.”

Damian put on a smile on her lovely face.

“We should do it again someday. It was fun.”

“Sure,” Jason replied while placing the sticks inside its case. “I’m quite hungry. Wanna grab some snacks?”

“Of course! I want pizza.”

“What? Why must pizza?” Jason asked as they walked out of the room.

“Tt—Just grab some pizza!”

“Okay, okay.”

They walk down the night streets of Gotham. Damian actually wanted to ask why Jason did not bring his motorcycle tonight, but she dropped her intention when she saw that Jason only brought drumsticks. Looked like he did intend to go out only to practice.

Jason stared at the girl.

“There is a problem?” he asked and Damian startled.

“Why did you ask?”

“Your eyes are swollen. You've been crying.”

Damian bit her bottom lip before she told Jason everything, about her crush on Dick, Barbara, and also what happened earlier.

She told him with a pouty face, made Jason held his laugh, tries his best to not offend the gloomy girl.

“Don’t you dare to expose this to anyone or I’ll cut your dick,” she remarked, and Jason only snorted.

“Go cut your **Dick**.”

Damian’s face hardened.

“DON’T YOU DARE TO LAY A FINGER ON HIM, TODD!”

And Jason only laughed.

Damn. This guy is definitely a bastard, Damian said inwardly but smile afterwards.

Well, she can forget about Dick and Barbara for a while, and that was thanks to him.


	5. CRIES OF REGRET

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian never thought that Jason's presence could make her smile come back. She can forget her sadness even for a moment whenever she is with him. However, Damian never thought that her choice to avoid Dick not only hurt herself but also hurt Dick's feelings.

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𝑻𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅

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“Thank you for today, Todd. It was fun,” Damian said when she got to the front of the apartment building, smiling at Jason. After they finished eating the pizza they ordered, Jason took the initiative to take her home, even though in essence he was just accompanying Damian on a walk, because that day Jason did not bring his motorbike. Still, at least that would keep the bastards from touching the girl, Jason thought.

Even though Damian refused at first, Jason remained adamant, causing the girl could not help but obey.

'Do you want a pervert to touch your butt and do something you'll regret?' that was what Jason said, who succeeded to make Damian's hair neck stand on end when she imagined that she would give birth to a thug's child and endure the shame of a lifetime that her pregnancy would fill all the news in Gotham.

She could not let that happen.

That was why Jason was there, in front of her apartment building.

Damian fiddled with her fingers, embarrassed to remember that it was Jason who made sure she got safely to the apartment, moreover, she had told the story that she loves Dick so much and was heartbroken at the moment despite of their relationship that was far from good.

Noticing Damian's shy gesture, Jason cannot hold his smile.

“I currently have a lot of free time and will probably visit the institute often. We can do it again next time,” he said. Damian frowned.

"Do what?"

“Our duet, as before.”

"Oh—"

Damian carved a smile.

"I'm looking forward to it."

When Damian was about to turn around, Jason held out his cell phone, making Damian stop her intention and looked at the small object in front of her with a confused look.

“Why?” she asked.

“Your number,” Jason said as he remaining to hand her his cellphone. “Save your number here.”

At first, Damian looked doubtful but finally nodded as well.

That night, they exchanged phone numbers.

Damian entered the apartment and was greeted by Dick's unfriendly face. It seemed that he was not very pleased about his little sister coming home late, considering it was almost midnight. Damian was about to ask why his brother did not call her if he was extremely worried. However, when she checked her own cellphone, it turned out that her phone died. Running out of battery.

And sure enough, Dick asked where she had been today in a slightly sharp tone. Meanwhile, Damian, who was in a bad mood once she arrived at the apartment, shouted back, "Mind your own business!" before finally slamming hard on her bedroom door and locking it, on purpose so that Barbara would not sleep in her bedroom tonight. She can sleep in Dick's room and make out before bed with him, Damian thought.

She could hear Dick knocking on her bedroom door while shouting angrily, asking Damian to open the door and answer his question properly. But Damian did not want to lose. She responded by saying that Dick was noisy and she did not want to see his dumb face tonight.

One minute later, Dick seemed to had given up because he no longer asked Damian to come out. Damian was crying, once again. She was annoyed, really annoyed to the point that she wanted to make Dick's handsome face become indefinite because he was beaten black and blue by her. However, knowing that in reality, she was unable to do it made the girl cry even more.

Maybe an hour had wasted crying. Her eyes are puffed, worse than this afternoon when she went to the Wayne Music Institute. She quickly got up and charged her cellphone. Damian was a bit surprised when she received messages from an unknown number, which turned out to be Jason. She winced when she saw the message sent by the burly young man.

'Dami, it's me, Jason. Make sure you save my number,' he texted her.

However, the next message was successfully made Damian laugh.

‘Hey. I know you get grumpy a lot. And according to the news, people often get angry because they are lack of entertainment so I came across this article. How to raise betta fish. Maybe it will help to keep you entertained.’

Damian stared at the link given. She accessed the link, and of course, Jason was not lying for the title of the article is actually 'How to Raise Betta Fish'.

“Idiot, why it should be betta fish?” she said as she chuckled.

But the next second she stopped her laughter.

This was the second time Jason had gotten her mood up.

She covered her mouth with a hand as her face flushed slightly, wondering why the person who cheered her had to be Jason.

It never occurred to her that Jason Todd would become her 'mood maker', given their not-so-good relationship. Damian vividly recollected her first encounter with Jason, which occurred at the manor at dinner because Bruce invited him. That night, Bruce said that he and Talia have decided to adopt Jason. However, Jason rejected and never told why he did it, but Bruce and Talia said that even though Jason turned down the offer, he could think of Wayne's family as his own and he could come to the manor whenever he wants, even they had already given Jason a room, in case Jason wanted to stay over or was thinking of living in the manor. At first, Damian did not have any problems with him. However, somehow Jason kept pissing her off so that their every meeting was never friendly. They even just exchanged contacts today.

It was odd to her that it was Jason who made her laugh. Perhaps, the young man was not as bad as she thought.

She smiled gently and replied to Jason's message.

‘Maybe you should also start learning how to raise cows so that you can find new activities that will benefit you besides making me angry.’

Sent.

Jason replied five minutes later and they continued to texting afterwards.

It was magical how Jason made Damian forget about Dick and Barbara at once.

Since that night, Damian has continued to exchange messages with Jason. She also often came home later than usual for she always met Jason after her practice for the recital; did a duet. In fact, they were composing their own song right now, making them often meet on weekends, either at the café or at Jason's apartment. They even had a special—which was a mockery—nickname for each other. Jaybird was Damian's to Jason and Babybat was Jason's to the girl.

Slowly, Damian liked to be around him. The young man could make her laugh and forget about her sadness even for a moment.

Meanwhile, her relationship with Dick got worse. She avoided Dick as well as Barbara. She rarely ate together and chatted like before. Even Dick was very confused by what happened to his younger sister. The reason was, Damian was often rude, but she had never acted like this. However, whenever he wanted to ask Damian, the girl always avoided him. She did not even speak to Barbara at all, as if she did not think that Barbara existed. Barbara herself asked Dick if Damian was in trouble, but Dick cannot give her an answer.

Until one night, Damian came home and Dick was sat on the sofa, waiting for her. Barbara was beside him.

“Where have you been?” he questioned. Damian snorted.

“What’s your business?”

” Damian! Your brother is asking you right now so you have to answer it right!”

She sighed.

“Fuck off, Grayson,” she said as she walked to her bedroom, but Dick pulled her hand then hugged her, smelling the fragrance that was in Damian's hair.

For a moment she was silent, too shocked by his brother's sudden movement. Her heart was pounding too hard, thus she pushed him. Her face was red as a tomato now.

“W-WHAT THE FUCK, GRAYSON?!”

And Dick just stared at her with a face full of disappointment.

“I smell strong tobacco from your hair. These days, every time you come, I could smell it even though it was faint. I have tried to erase bad thoughts, but now I can't help it anymore,” he said. “I'll ask you once more, where have you been? With whom?”

Tobacco.

Of course, he would smell it.

Jason was a smoker, and always smokes when they were together, but she never thought that the smell of his cigarette would stick in her hair.

Damian lowered his head.

She tried her best to not let her tears fell right now.

“Doing something with someone and somewhere is my own business, isn’t it?!” she said in a stentorian voice. Her eyes flashed with rage as she stared at her brother.

Dick’s face stiffened up.

“DAMIAN!”

And Damian’s eyes grew larger in shock.

Dick never shouted at her like that.

She examined Dick's face and found sadness there.

Her brother was depressed.

Damian bit her lower lip in a hard way.

“Why are you so worried about me?” she asked in a low, trembling tone. “I’m… not being a nuisance?”

Damian's words dumbed his tongue.

“…what was that?” he asked, and Damian kept her mouth shut. She lowered her head even more instead of answering, hiding her tears as far as she could. She hates it when she cries in front of other people. She did not want to seem weak.

Dick's heart ached when he saw the scene before him.

“Damian…” he hugged her and this time, Damian did not resist. She just crying.

“Don’t say stuff like ‘nuisance’ ever again,” he said before sighed deeply. “I’m doing my best because of you, not because of the fact that I was the son of the Wayne family. Of course, I’m making choreographies because I like it, but I’m doing my best at work because there’s someone I want to support.”

He tightened the hug.

“Because our parents were like that, there were times when I hate them and want to cry. My heart hurts every time Bruce and Talia fight. I know how it feels even though I'm just an adopted child. And I know that between me, you and Tim, you are the one who is hurt the most because you are their real child. That's why we are not alone. The three of us are there to protect each other, to encourage one another,” he stopped then lifted Damian's chin, staring closely at the beautiful face that was weeping.

Dick smiled.

“Tim did his best, and I also did my best… because you were there. I need you too, Dami.”

Damian's cries grew harder.

She had never felt this foolish, allowing herself to be fueled by the flames of jealousy and making herself hurt Dick while he had been so good to her all this time, while Damian could only hurt him.

She really hated herself.

And Barbara just watched them with a smile that continued to etch on her beautiful face. She was very happy that in the end, Damian and Dick had reconciled.

She loved them both.


	6. GRANITE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Barbara announced that they had officially become a couple! This made Damian not present a good performance at the rehearsal, which angered Bruce.

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𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑰'𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒎... 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒉𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒎 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒆

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Today was Barbara's birthday, as well as two days before Damian's recital. Dick and Damian were occupied decorating the room, a fairy-themed as Barbara's request, even though at first, the girl insisted on refusing because she thought a birthday party would be troublous.

Meanwhile, if we talk about Dick and Damian, their relationship was much better than before even though Damian still seemed to avoid him. She consistently came home late at night with the smell of cigarettes on her clothes and hair and that was still a subject of debate for both of them. Dick insisted on wanting to know where Damian was going, with whom, while Damian had absolutely no wish to answer, making Dick worry even more every day.

Even one day when Dick was not working, he went to follow Damian secretly, observing her from a distance. Dick never looked away from the time Damian came to school to the time the girl went to practice her recital. He observed everyone Damian interacted with, considering that Dick speculated that Damian had a boyfriend at her school. However, Damian herself did not show that she was close to someone from her school because she was only stuck with Maya Ducard all day.

Nothing was suspicious when Damian went to the Wayne Music Institute to practice her recital. Dick was about to let out a sigh of relief, but he stiffened up again when he saw Damian exiting the building with a burly man in a red helmet. His agitates grew stronger when he saw a cigarette burning between the fingers of the helmeted man, particularly when Damian put on the helmet that the man had given her and got on his big motorcycle then drove away in a different direction from their apartment.

At least that man could be the answer to why Damian's scent became smelly with a cigarette every time she came home and it made Dick think of a worst-case scenario.

“What if Damian was involved in promiscuity and juvenile delinquency? This is Blüdhaven, Babs," Dick said on one day as he was pacing, disturbed since Damian had not yet come home. Barbara just stared at Dick at that moment, not knowing what to do because honestly, she was worried about that girl, too.

"Maybe she played over to a friend's house?”

"Impossible. I've called Maya Ducard, I even called Jonathan Kent, but they said that Damian is not there. Damian has never picked up my phone lately," he said before sitting on the sofa with both hands on his forehead, supporting his head. "I'm afraid she's hanging out with bad, immoral people. If anything happens to her, I'll never be able to forgive myself. And if things go according to all the worst things that have been haunting my mind recently, what should I tell Bruce and Talia? I was the one who brought her here, so I have to take the responsibility.”

Dick told that he was very upset for he could not see the face of the man who took Damian away because his entire face was covered by a helmet.

"If that guy is the cause of Damian to be such a rebel, I'll finish him off!"

And Barbara could only gently caressed Dick's back, trying to calm the angry man.

That was why Barbara agreed for her birthday to be celebrated because she saw it as an opportunity to mend the relationship between Dick and Damian which had recently been strained. And perhaps when the atmosphere warms up, Damian will start to open up about who she is been spending her time with.

“I'm sorry I couldn't bring Bruce and Talia here to celebrate your birthday. Bruce has a concert in Italy, while Talia is in Egypt to shoot her new film,” Dick said as he brought three glasses of juice.

Barbara smiled.

"It's okay. I'm happy to be able to celebrate my birthday with you. I also don't want to interfere with Mr and Mrs Wayne's work. Ah~ I can't wait for the release of the newest Mrs Wayne's movie! She always looks cool in them! You know, when she fights, she's like a true swordfighter!"

"Tt—what are you, 5?" said Damian while carefully bringing the birthday cake to Barbara, afraid that the candles might go out. And, for the next few minutes, their apartment was occupied with singing and laughter.

It was probably the warmest night they have ever spent together. No fighting, no awkwardness, no outburst from Damian, everything was peaceful. In fact, this was the first time Damian had played her violin in front of Barbara, playing the song 'Happy Birthday' as well as the song that the birthday girl had requested. Damian also bowed her violin as an accompaniment to Dick and Barbara's dance.

Well, only for her birthday, Damian said inwardly.

"Hey," called Barbara as they were sitting together on the carpet, eating their cake. "I'm a little curious about your family. I've never met Timothy, although I often hear his name from your chats and have seen his picture in the manor. What kind of person is he?"

Damian stared at her violin.

"He is a big brother who we can be proud of. He's kind, even though he's very annoying," she said in her sweet smile. "He can play the piano so beautifully, so passionately until you're not able to hold your tears anymore. You will be sure that he is the right successor of my father."

Damian said all that with a beaming smile that never left her face, as if she sincerely praised Tim from her heart, making Dick and Barbara responded her with a smile.

Damian was often rude, but actually, she was loving and adorable.

Until Barbara felt the timing was fit, she nudged Dick's arm, hinting that now might be the right time to ask Damian.

Dick nodded briefly before raising his voice.

“Damian.”

Damian shifted her attention from the cake in her hand while raising her eyebrows.

“What?” she replied.

Dick paused for a moment. He sighed.

"Please don't avoid and answer my question this time properly. Who is the man you are with these days?"

Damian put down the cake while staring at Dick with a disbelief glance.

“Seriously, Richard? You still want to discuss this?”

“I deserve to know, Damian. I am your guardian here. I have to take responsibility for you to Bruce and Talia. And lately, you always come home very late, sometimes in the middle of the night. I know the smell of tobacco that radiates from your body comes from that man, right? Who is-"

“Jason.”

Dick was silent, unbelieving whatever that came out from his sister's mouth.

“What?” he asked and Damian only snorted.

“He is Jason fuckin’ Todd, you idiot!” she replied while crossing her arms and staring at her brother with an annoyed look. “How cheap do you think I am to want to go out with just anyone!”

Dick dumbfounded.

No wonder every time Damian came home, she always smells of cigarettes for Jason indeed was a smoker.

Damn these two, he thought.

“But, were you not that close to Jason?” Dick asked for he found her statement was quite odd.

Damian fell silent. She took her face down as she flushed with embarrassment.

"Th-that's none of your business," she replied in a low voice.

Dick sighed.

“Still, you're guilty of made me worried,” he said as he pouted. Damian shrugged.

“Whatever.”

And suddenly, Barbara clapped her palm hard, exclaiming happily, "by the way, we have good news on my birthday." She hugged Dick's arm tightly and smiled brightly. "Dick and I are officially lovers!"

Damian speechless as she felt struck by lightning.

“You—what?”

"We're officially dating! Actually, it's been from last week, but you're like in a bad mood so we didn't tell you right away. Sorry, Damian," she continued, and Damian's body trembled slightly as she hugged her own body. She forced her face to smile while holding her tears as hard as possible. She thoughts she would be ready for this kind of thing for she had prepared herself. However, in reality, what was happened was the opposite.

It hurt.

"Oh really?" Damian asked with a faint smile. "Congratulations."

Dick ruffled Barbara's hair as he said, “Babs said I’m her first love. Isn’t she cute?”

Damian bit her bottom lip when she heard it.

You are my first love too, Grayson, she spoke inwardly.

The next seconds, Damian stood up. She stretched her arms.

“Ah~ I'm so tired. You guys have fun. I have to rest for rehearsal tomorrow," she said as she tucked her violin into its case and walked to her room then closed the door.

She leaned against it when she realized she cannot hold her tears anymore. They just came out, dampened her beautiful face.

“Damn it…” she said as she hit her chest, in a hard way. “Stop it right now! Just stop, you stupid tears!”

However, her tears would not stop, making Damian ducked even more.

And that night, Damian continued to cry while occasionally calling out ‘Grayson’ in a hoarse voice.

The next day, Damian's condition was far from good. Her eyes were swollen and her eye bags were clearly visible. Besides, her pale face made Jason, who had come to watched the girl's rehearsal, stared at her with a worried look.

And, of course, the rehearsals were far from perfect. She kept making mistakes, to the point that another instrument player who were indeed going to accompany Damian's recital on the next day, looked at Damian with astonished eyes. Damian made a lot of mistakes and looked unprepared for the rehearsal? It was definitely unusual for she always looks perfect in each time. In fact, Bruce now approached her with a look of dissatisfaction and anger.

Damian bowed her head, not at all daring to look at Bruce.

"Is this what you can give at rehearsal?" he questioned while taking Damian's bow then threw it hard, making all eyes in the room staring at them. Bruce inhaled deeply before shouting, “THIS IS A REHEARSAL, DAMIAN! AND TOMORROW IS YOUR RECITAL! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING! HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WILL SEE YOU ON THE STAGE AND THEY ALREADY PAY JUST TO SEE YOUR RECITAL. YOU MUST GIVE THEM YOUR BEST. WHERE ARE THE RESULTS OF YOUR PRACTICE?!”

Damian kept her head down.

She knew that her father purposely did not come home when he returned from Italy just to monitor her rehearsal and what she can do is only failed him.

“I’m sorry, father. I’m sorry,” she answered in a trembling voice and Bruce only shook his head.

“I am disappointed in you, Damian,” he said then left the hall, leaving Damian who was sobbing hard.

Disappointing Bruce was one of the last things she wanted to do.

I was a failure, she thought.

Just as Jason was about to walk up to her, the girl ran out.

Jason sighed.

He knew that something had happened in her apartment.

He must do something tonight.

Damian came home without stopping her crying. Dick and Barbara were about to go over to her, but Damian threw away both of their hands, saying that she wanted to be alone then went to her room and locked the door. She cried uncontrollably as she kept saying, 'Sorry, father. Forgive me'.

Dick and Barbara heard Damian's sobs but they were just soundless, not knowing what to do.

It was already night and for hours, Damian just silently stared at her violin. She got out of bed, took out her violin, put on the shoulder rest and tightened up the bow. The tickets were already sold and there was no way she would disappoint the audience tomorrow. For a moment she picked up her smartphone and texted Bruce that she promised not to disappoint him like what she had done today. When she was about to put it down, her smartphone rang, indicating an incoming call. Hoping it was Bruce, she immediately answered it. However, it was not Bruce's voice that she heard.

It was Jason.

 _“Hi, Babybat,”_ he greeted.

Damian sighed.

“What do you want?”

_"What are you doing?”_

“Practicing. You're bothering me. I’ll hang up the phone,” she said, but Jason’s next words hushed her.

_“I cannot sleep. Want some company?”_

“What?”

_“Open your laptop and turn on the video call. I'll be your judge tonight.”_

Damian followed what Jason said and seconds later they were meeting face to face, virtually.

Jason frowned when he saw Damian's face.

 _“Your face is all swollen. What happened to you? Attacked by bees_?” he asked, making Damian’s face stiffened up.

“SHUT UP, JAYBIRD!”

And Jason only laughed.

“I’ll start,” Damian stated before playing with her violin.

Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen Op.20.

Damian fiddled with her eyes closed, trying hard to live up to the song and Jason just watched her in awe.

This time, not a single note was off the mark. She mastered the whole piece. An imposing, virtuosic introduction with slow majestic energy, the spiccato and ricochet bowings, move to a melancholic melody with the so-called reverse-applied dotted note— _Un Poco Più Lento_ , to _Allegro Molto Vivace_ when the piece becomes extremely rapid, consists mainly of long spiccato runs, along with double stops, artificial harmonics and left-hand pizzicato; in 2/4 time.

Everything was perfect.

The girl was remarkable indeed.

Damian looked at Jason as the piece was over.

“How was it?”

Jason cleared his throat.

 _“It was good, and I meant it_ ,” he answered. Hearing it, Damian gave him a smile.

“My father won't be disappointed, right?”

Jason fell silent at the moment—thinking that today must be a tough day for the girl; having problem in the apartment, which must be related to Dick and the girl named Barbara and after that, she must deal with Bruce's anger in front of many people and hear that the father she was proud of was disappointed in her.

Jason grinned.

_“Bruce would be proud of you, Babybat.”_

And Damian’s smile stretched wider.

That night, Damian's practice was accompanied by Jason, even though the man often bothered Damian like saying, 'Dami, I saw something behind you' and when Damian turned around, Jason casually said, 'I saw a chair' while laughing, making Damian raised his middle finger to him. However, Jason helped her and Damian subconsciously forgot her sadness once again because of that man.

And on the recital day, her violin performance was greeted with thunderous applause from the hundreds of spectators who attended and Damian had never been more relieved than today.

Damian walked to the backstage and found Jason there, smiling proudly at her.

Just as Jason was about to compliment Damian, the girl grabbed the collar of the brown jacket Jason was wearing and kissed him on the lips, made Jason's tongue dumbed.

A few seconds later, Damian released the kiss and stared at Jason with a gasping breath. Her face flushed as red as a pomegranate and Jason only stared at her in confusion.

“Dami, what are you—”

“Be my boyfriend, Todd.”


	7. A PLEASURE RHYTHM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is Damian and Jason's first date!

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𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

It was so sudden, but—

Damian got a boyfriend.

A bright Sunday, just like Jason's face today. His lips continued to widened until an old-man that passed having the thought that he was a runaway mental hospital patient. He had been sitting on his motorcycle for two hours waiting for someone to come.

Who else but the beautiful Damian Wayne, his girlfriend?

To be honest, his heart was beating so fast now that it hurt. He never felt this nervous. Maybe it was because he dated the 'Princess of Wayne'?

Ah, he did not know what was wrong with him, but certainly, his brain could not think clearly at this time. For the proof, he came two hours early because he was that overwrought.

Hahaha, how stupid, he thought.

Until a soft voice was heard.

"Sorry, I'm a little late. Have you been waiting long?"

And that voice made Jason turned his gaze to the source of the sound.

It was definitely Damian Wayne's.

The girl was standing nearby, in a knee-length white floral dress and loose hair as well as a white headband that fit perfectly on her head. Besides, she wore white high heels. Everything was white so Jason thought beforehand that she was an angel who came down from nirvana.

And do not forget the make-up on her face.

Just one word needed; perfect.

His heart felt like it was about to fall out now.

The reason was, Damian's appearance this time was different. She was more feminine, unlike her usual look. Normally, Damian would tie her hair and wear her Converse High, giving off her tomboyish vibe.

Shit, I’m going crazy, he thought for a second time.

A second later, Jason's eyes were glued to the high heels Damian was wearing, causing the girl to frown.

“What’s wrong?” she asked and Jason suddenly burst in a laugh.

"You're like McDonald's mascot! What's with that red lipstick? And again, are you crazy? We are going to an amusement park and you're wearing high heels?" he said, making Damian frowned even more.

"Damn you!” she shouted. “What hit my head that I want to date a bastard like you?!”

Jason's laughter grew louder, resulting in Damian hitting his head. Hard, of course. The muscular man grimaced in pain. However, Damian did not care. She just crossed her arms in front of her chest and her face looked so irritated.

Damn this ugly man, she thought. She had struggled to wake up early from staying up late choosing which kind of dress to wear on her first date with him. She even took a bath for two hours to make her body smell good. It also took her half an hour just to choose which lipstick colour to match the dress she was wearing.

She gave her all for today for this was her first date in a lifetime and that was what she got?

What an ungodly man, she thought once more, before she made a sound, about to curse Jason. However, Jason put a helmet on her head without notice, causing her lips to be locked.

Jason smiled softly.

"Come on, hurry up. You said you want to ride a roller coaster, right?"

Damian was silent before finally nodding slowly.

“Uh—sure.”

And Jason rode his motorcycle across Gotham without wiping the smile on his face even for a second.

Damian was beautiful. Very beautiful and was prettier than any woman he had ever met.

She was just perfect.

Once they arrived, the amusement park was quite busy. Jason halted, frozen. He asked if Damian was okay with coming to such a crowded place and Damian just nodded, saying that it was okay. In the next second, she grabbed Jason's hand, tugged at it, made Jason's face blush. Jason called the girl's name since he still did not use to it and the girl simply replied, 'Isn't this what dating people do?' without glancing at him.

Damn, Damian can be sweeter than sugar, too. He could die of diabetes at this rate, he thought.

All this time Damian had always been rude to him. Hence, seeing that girl being gentle and sweet made the butterflies in his stomach started to fly. Thus, Jason also took the girl's hand; squeeze it tighter, leaving Damian somewhat surprised. She looked at Jason and found he was smiling at her, as gentle as when he was put the helmet on her.

Her face heated up a little, so Damian hurriedly hid her face, afraid that Jason would see a red tinge on her cheeks. And, seconds later, she hurriedly pulled Jason's arm when she saw the gift counter. Jason could only smile.

This girl. Dating her was like babysitting a child, he spoke inwardly as he held back his laughter for Damian's eyes seemed to glow when they entered the booth, at least that was what Jason had in his sight.

"Ah! Todd, here!" she exclaimed and then put a Mickey Mouse headband on Jason while laughing.

"Looks right on you. You look even more stupid!" she said.

Jason frowned. He stared at his reflection in the mirror not far from where he stood.

He snorted.

“Damn it, Babybat. It’s just unfair,” he said as he took the Minnie one then took off the white headband she was wearing and replace it.

He grinned.

“Wow! Looks good on you. You look even more like an idiot!” he said, making Damian punched him in the stomach.

“FUCK YOU!” she cried but did not take it off anyway.

Jason’s smile grew wider when she gave him her back.

It was a lie, of course.

Jason thought that she was cute, and that headband suited her well.

In the end, they both bought the headbands because of the challenge they gave to each other; how long they can keep the silly headband on their heads.

Their date was successful and it may not be like most dating people do as it was filled more with teasing and petty arguments than by words of love, especially after both of them got off the roller coaster.

“I swear to God, your voice was so loud to the point it makes my ears hurt! Are you a dolphin or what?!” Jason said.

Damian’s face stiffened up.

“And your screams were even more feminine than every girls’, you cock-sucker!”

And, after that little fight, they were staring at each other without saying anything. A second later, both of them exploded with laughter.

“Damn, it was fun!” Jason stated within his laugh while Damian hugged her stomach.

“For God’s sake, we should have installed a hidden camera, you know, to see our fuckin' faces!”

“I couldn’t agree more!” he answered without stopping his laugh.

Well, lovers dressed like best friends would not hurt, right?

Following their first date, they saw each other more often. In fact, Jason was picking up her more frequently on the weekend, making the clueless Dick frowned in astonishment. What was more, now it felt like her cute little sister focusing on her smartphone oftentimes and having a phone call with someone, like, every night.

And, just as any weekend, Dick saw the well-dressed Damian and a violin case on her left hand. He immediately stopped the girl, raising an eyebrow.

Damian startled at first, but managed to calm herself down.

“Where are you going?” he asked and Damian only stared right at his eyes.

“Out.”

“That’s not what I mea—”

“Sorry, Grayson, but Jason’s waiting for me downstairs. I won’t be home for dinner,” she replied then left Dick alone, puzzled.

“What? Jason?” he murmured to himself.

With her jog, Damian approached Jason who was smiling when the girl was visible in his line of sight.

“Ready, Babybat?” he asked as he gave her the helmet and the girl just nodded.

“Readier than ever,” she replied then hop on the motorcycle, making Jason smirked silently and started to rode it.

“So, our date today is a duet?” Jason asked the girl behind her.

“More like we are going to try our composed music.”

“Have you found the title?’

“Um—I did.”

“What is it?”

“Unexpected Fate.”


	8. THE TRUTH UNTOLD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian who is mad at Dick went to Jason's apartment while rain is suddenly falling down, making both of them soaked

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𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒅𝒆… 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝑰 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Damian left the apartment this afternoon.

She was very annoyed at Dick's arbitrary act.

The reason was this morning, she was the one who made breakfast because Barbara and her stupid brother got up late after a libidinous night that they did spend together, making Damian cannot sleep at all because of their fucking moans. Besides, Dick suddenly hugged her from behind while she was cooking, resulting in she hit him hard on the head with a pot. And, yeah, a small commotion happened; Dick asked why Damian was so angry even though he often hugged her back then, but Damian said she was not the little girl she used to be, even though she knew what the actual reason was and could not say it out loud, especially in front of Barbara.

She was trying to heal her heart and Dick was dared to screw it up? She would not let it to happen.

Was he start to thinking that he was a king who had two concubines?! How annoying, Damian thought.

And now, she was at the outside of a convenience store near Jason's apartment, waiting for her boyfriend who was buying some snacks because his apartment had absolutely no food.

What a sloppy man, she muttered.

Shortly thereafter, Jason came out, carrying a large plastic bag.

"Why do you buy so many snacks? Do you want to stay up late?" Damian asked.

Jason chuckled.

"It's because you suddenly came to visit. Why didn't you tell me first if you want to come? I could've cook something for you."

“Nah, it’s okay, I—”

Rain fell down unexpectedly, making Damian groaned in frustration.

“Fuck! What a rotten day!”

Jason stared at his girlfriend.

Something must have happened at her apartment, he spoke inwardly, then put his hand on Damian's head, ruffling her hair softly.

"Why do you keep getting angry? If you won't stop, your face will turn uglier than before, ya know? And then the title will change, no longer Beauty and The Beast, but Handsome and The Beast,” Jason said, causing in Damian gave him her ‘death glare’.

“Fuck off, Todd. You don't make things better.”

Instead of being offended, Jason carved a gentle smile then looked up at the cloudy sky.

“Damian.”

Damian lifted her head, staring at Jason.

“What?”

And Jason gazed at her face with a grin.

"Want to race?"

Damian frowned.

“Excuse me? A Race?” she asked and Jason just nodded.

"Yes, a race. The first one who gets to my apartment wins.”

Jason's invitation was greeted by Damian's distempered expression.

“Are you nuts?! How can we run while the rain is pouring down!”

Geez, Damian just cannot understand what this person was thinking.

Jason raised one of his eyebrows.

"What? Don't tell me that the Great Damian Wayne is afraid of water,” he said, making Damian frowned in anger.

“DAMN IT, TODD! BRING IT ON!”

“All right!” Jason replied then ran, leaving the dumbfounded Damian.

“W-what?” she muttered while seeing Jason’s back who was getting further and, a second later, she cried, "Hey! That's just unfair!" then chase after him.

“Wait for me, bastard!”

And Jason just exploded in laughter.

Damian kept running, trying to chase Jason while keep on screaming, cursing the brawny man. However, it cannot be denied that her heart was now beating strangely; not because of the running, but something else which she cannot explain since Damian herself had difficulty deciphering what the heartbeat meant. Yet, the thump managed to invite a smile to her pretty face.

The girl glanced at Jason's back.

It seemed like whenever her mood was not good, the man always managed to make her day better.

Comforting her, just like Dick always did but in a different way.

Jason was unique and it was like he has 1001 peculiar ways to make her laugh.

Damian formed a smile.

She was glad that she met him.

They arrived at the apartment soaking wet. In the end, Jason was the one who won.

Damian bit her bottom lip then hit him hard.

"You tricky man! You won because you stole the start!" she shouted and Jason only laughed then stuck out his tongue.

“Loser.”

Damian groaned.

“FUCK YO—”

“Well, well. Let's dry our body first~” he said cheerfully as he pushed Damian’s body inside his bedroom. Damian bluffed a little but stopped when Jason threw the towel at her.

"I don't have a hairdryer, so just use that one," he said as he walked towards the door. “You can use the bathroom inside. I'll use the outside one. Take it easy, I won't peek. Lock the door if you're uncertain."

Damian stared at the door that was slowly closing.

A second later, she stepped toward the bathroom while taking off her clothes.

Come to think of it, Jason had not touched her at all. He also never kissed her lips. Ah, he never even took the initiative to kiss Damian's cheek or forehead. Holding hands? That was Damian who initiated it.

I wonder why? she asked herself as she turned on the shower. It felt strange, because as Damian saw from the movies she watched, sharing a kiss with a partner was normal. Moreover, if she saw the interaction between Dick and Barbara, they are already at a stage that was more than just kissing.

Intrinsically, the opportunity for Jason to touch her body was plenty, considering that there was nobody else but them at most of the time.

She sighed.

"Am I less voluptuous and attractive so that Jason doesn't get excited when he sees my body?" she mumbled, without knowing that Jason was struggling to not to touch her outside.

"Damn, it seems like a big mistake to ask her to run in the rain," he spoke as he covered his flushed face with both of his hands. "I know she's not as sexy as a porn star, but still—”

She's so pretty that I have a hard time holding myself back, he thought to himself.

Half an hour later, both Jason and Damian had finished their shower and dried off. Damian gazed at herself in the mirror while frowning.

She looked weird wearing Jason's clothes. The t-shirt seemed like a dress if she was the one who wore it.

"Hahaha, shit. I'm dating a giant,” she said before walked out the room. Her eyes searching for Jason until—

“What the fuck?!”

—she found him shirtless.

That cry made Jason turned his head back and saw Damian who was wearing his shirt.

Oversize.

Damn.

He cleared his throat.

“Oh, hi, babybat.”

And Damian’s face blushed red.

“Don’t ‘hi’ me, you idiot! Where’s your shirt?!”

“Oh?” Jason diverted his attention to his body. “I don't usually wear clothes after showering. I still wear my pants, though."

Damian fell silent, did not know what to say.

Damn this stupid ugly beast. Does not he have any shame? She thought then took a step to the sofa, sit on it.

“Well, whatever,” she said as she saw Jason also took a seat beside her.

“Wanna watch a movie, babybat?”

“Sure,” she replied before she bit her bottom lip in a hard way, looking at Jason who turned on the television. “Uh—Jaybird.”

“Hm?”

“Why haven’t you touch me?”

Jason choked.

“W-what?!”

He immediately looked at the innocent face beside him with a shocked expression.

Did she take the wrong medicine that can make her brain to be error or did something hit her head in the bathroom? Jason thought. He just about to asked why until Damian cut him off.

“It just… strange. We are lovers but you never kiss me on the lips. You even never kiss me on my cheeks nor my forehead. I know that lovers mostly do something further than that. I just wonder why.”

Jason sighed. He rubbed his face roughly.

“Listen, babybat. You’re still in the final year of high school, and I just… don’t want to ruin you, okay? Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Damian shook her head.

“No, I don’t because what we do is different than others! We even barely holding hands!”

“Babybat,” Jason wheezed then gently caressed Damian’s hair. “I wanted to be your lover not because I wished to have sex with you, but because I love you. Sex is not my priority. You are.”

“But, Jay—”

“No, Dami. I think you underst—”

And Damian cut him off once again by cupped Jason's face in her hand and gently pressed a kiss to his lips.

Jason eyes grew bigger.

At first, he was a bit opposed to it, but the soft touch of Damian's lips began to blind him. He started to move his lips until Damian opened her mouth; allowing the other man’s tongue to enter her warm mouth to tangle and play with hers. Jason groaned into Damian’s mouth as the rough velvet of Dami’s tongue rubbing against his—felt his head spin with the intoxicating mix of the tastes and sounds that the girl was making, as well as the sounds of their mouths meeting wetly. He put his hands around her waist, just to feel the excitement and arousal of his girlfriend he held then deepening the kiss and draw Damian’s bottom lip into his mouth; suck on it.

Jason broke the kiss.

Both of them gasping for breath when their eyes met each other.

His gaze moved to Damian’s red, swollen lips.

“Damn it, babybat…” he said in a low voice. “You can't do this. I've been trying hard to hold myself back.”

“Then don’t be,” she replied then gave him a kiss, lighter than before and only stayed for seconds. “Touch me, Jason Todd," she spoke after parting their lips. "I know you want to.”

And Jason grunted in his deep, low voice, making Damian felt the heat on her bottom part of body. She squealed when Jason carried her to his bedroom.

“I can’t believe it. I thought you’re an innocent girl.”

Damian smirked.

“I’m not,” she replied as Jason laid her body on his bed then crawled on her.

“Am I the first?”

She nodded.

“You’re the first, Todd.”

“Damn,” he mumbled then stroked Damian’s cheek. “You’re so beautiful, baby.”

Hearing that, Damian’s cheeks became red. Her chest beating faster.

“Jason…”

“Yes, baby?” he responded while nibbling his way down to the side of Damian’s neck. The girl groaned as Jason sucked on the skin of her neck. The sound caused something to give in him and he bit down hard on the tender flesh.

“Oh—” Damian jerked slightly, but Jason was already lapping at the bite with his tongue, removing the sting of it—just enough to further her arousal, making Damian sighed in pleasure.

“Like that, do you?” Jason growled as he raised his head, staring at the beautiful girl below him. Damian glanced at him with eyes hot with desire and ground her pelvis into Jason’s, unconsciously, causing him to moaned and pushed back. “Yeah, I guess you do,” he continued as he felt his cock throb through his slacks.

“May I take off your shirt, princess?” he asked and was responded by Damian’s nod.

“Thank you, beautiful,” he said and kissed her on the forehead then started to take off the shirt she was wearing.

And a second later, his eyes met with Damian’s breast, causing his breath to be heavier.

“Damn… so pretty.”

Damian blushed even harder as she was hearing that and Jason gave a lot of kisses on her neck and breasts afterwards.

“I’ll do it gently since it’s your first time, babybat.”

And their night turned into a passionate one as their moans can be heard in every corner of the room.

Damian fell asleep in Jason’s embrace and Jason cannot help but smile.

It was just like a dream, that he can made love to Damian, the girl that he loved.

He immediately checked the clock.

Almost midnight.

He knew that Dick must have been worried about her little sister but he did not want to wake her up since she was just too peaceful in her slumber.

Jason carved a smile as he gazed at her and, a second later, he took his phone, texting Dick if Damian was in his apartment and she was definitely safe.

“Grayson…”

And Jason quickly looked at the sleeping girl.

“Grayson—” she mumbled at her sleep, making Jason laughed.

“So, this is it,” he said as he caressed Damian’s hair. “I’m just his substitute.”

He leaned over.

“How lucky Dick is. To be loved by you, Damian.”

Jason closed his eyes.

“I can pretend that I do know nothing and stay with you, babybat, but I don't know. I have limits, too,” he said as he played with the girl’s hair.

“You have to know that I’ll never be Dick Grayson.”


	9. PHONY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick tells Barbara everything about Damian's past, making her feels uneasy then confronts Damian.

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𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔?

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Damian woke up from deep sleep to find that Jason was not there. She got out of bed thence stretched her arms as she rotated her eyes here and there, looking over the muscular man. However, nothing. Jason was not in the room.

“Jaybird?” she called, but silence was the one that answers her.

Thus, she stepped out of the room. Her eyes continued to search for Jason and soon found that man was cooking in the kitchen. Damian approached him.

“Jay.”

Hearing his lover's voice, Jason turned around, catches a glimpse of the girl with a loving smile.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you sleep well?”

Damian nodded as she rested on Jason’s chest, making Jason rubbed her hair gently.

“I did,” she said then lift up her chin, staring at Jason’s handsome face. “Why didn't you wake me up?”

Jason formed a smile.

“You were so peaceful in your slumber. How can I wake you up?” he responded at the moment Damian altered her eyeballs against a frying pan.

“What are you cooking?” she asked and Jason chortled.

“Just a classic American breakfast. Sorry, I haven't had time to buy groceries.”

“No need to.”

Jason put on a smile then ruffled Damian's hair, making the girl raised her voice angrily and Jason just laughed at it. He told the girl that she had to wait a few more minutes for the food to cook. Damian beckoned; a sign that she agreed to it and pulled herself away from Jason afterwards, sitting on a chair while persisting to stare at him who continued his cooking activities.

"I know that you can cook. Since when?” she popped the question while Jason turned off the stove.

“Why do you ask?"

“It should be me who cook you something, but you know I’ve never laid even a finger to the kitchen.”

Jason stunned and, a second later, he burst in a laugh.

“Why, it’s so rare for me to watch you say such a sweet thing!”

Damian threw in a vexed glance.

“I am serious, Todd!”

Still, Jason did not stop his snicker, provoking her to groan.

“Whatever!”

And Jason stopped his laughter bit by bit, at the same time when his eyes turned softly.

He carved a smile.

“You don’t have to serve me just because you’re my lover, you know. I understand that you’re unacquainted to house chores since you were born and grew up in a luxury life,” he said as he brought the plates to Damian then put it in front of her. He took a seat beside her thereon, stroking her hair gently.

“You are my girlfriend, Dami. Not my maid. I’ll treat you like a princess.”

A red complexion started to saturate her face as her eyes fixed on Jason's face.

She bit her bottom lip.

I’m sorry, Jason, she said at heart.

I don’t deserve you.

Barbara snuggled at Dick’s chest. Both of them were laying on their bed, enjoying their day with a little laziness. However, Barbara seemed not to be there since her mind was flying somewhere, thinking where was Damian right now.

“Dick…”

“Hm?” he responded to her idly while playing with her hair.

“Where’s Damian? She did not come back last night. I just… worried.”

Dick smiled at his girlfriend’s words.

Barbara cherished Damian and that was the most important seeing that if things happened upside down, he afraid that he would leave her since Damian was his life.

“She’s okay, Babs,” he said as he continued to play with her hair. “She stayed over at Jason’s place. No need to worry.”

She glanced at him.

“Jason?”

“Yes. Jason Todd. Our unofficial brother.”

Hearing that, Barbara frowned.

“Unofficial?”

Dick who was aware of Barbara’s perplexity, chuckled before saying, “Well, he was almost Bruce and Talia’s foster son, but he rejected it. No one knows what the motive was.”

“Mr and Mrs Wayne are so… generous. They were amenable to welcome you and Timothy and… Jason to their family, notwithstanding he turned down the offer,” she said in the time she formed a soft smile.

“Yes, they are the best,” Dick said as he messed Barbara’s hair, causing a peal of laughter escaped her mouth.

“Dick,” she called him once more and this time, Dick stared right to her eyes.

“Has Damian always been angry like this a long time ago?”

Dick pouted his lips for a bit, looked like to recall things back then.

“Hm… how to explain it—” Dick frowned. “Damian was a sweet, lovable kid. I remember when the day she was born, Tim and I couldn't wait in front of the delivery room. We were too excited to welcome the new baby, especially when we knew that the baby is female. We can’t wait to play with her and protect her.”

He paused for a second, took along a smile to his handsome face.

“And the first time we saw her, we were so happy. Her irises sparkled with joy. Talia was the one who named her. Damian, she notified us. Day by day she grew up, becoming a talkative girl. All of us never troubled with it considering her vivacity is our first concern. Things started to change when Bruce gave a violin for her second birthday and said to her that she has to be a professional violinist. I felt certain that she didn’t take the meaning of it at that time, but a year after, when Bruce hired a professional violinist to coach her, she was able to understand that her father laid his faith on her. She isn’t stupid, anyway.”

“Hold on, so it means that she has learnt it at three? No wonder that her violin skill is so remarkable,” Barbara said, and Dick only gave her a smile.

“I know. But you have to understand that if there is something to be achieved, then something must be sacrificed. She forfeited her childhood. The time that Damian should have used it to play and get to know the world, she spent by practising. Nothing but polishing her violin skill. Not because Bruce forced her, but because she wanted to. I came to her room occasionally just to uncover that her fingers were wounded. I told her that she didn’t have to force herself like that, but she said, ‘I cannot fail my father’. You can picture how it struck me surpassingly by watching a four-year-old girl uttered something like that. So, it turned out that Tim and I were her only friends. Ah—along with Alfred for he watched her practice at the manor every day without exception. And, at six years old, she had her recital by presenting Niccolò Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in A minor."

“Capr—what?”

“One of the hardest pieces in the world.”

Barbara opened her mouth without saying anything, too stunned by Dick’s story about Damian. She was not in the least ruminated that Damian’s childhood would be so far against what she had imagined previously.

It must be tough for her, she thought.

“At the early bright she will drink her morning tea in the yard with Alfred and play with me, Tim and Titus up till noon afterwards for she underwent a practice until late afternoon and she will continue her practice after dinner, until her bedtime. I still keep in mind the way she split her sides since she almost revealed it to me day after day because I was the one who can get palsy-walsy to her after all. I even remember she always said, ‘I have a new dream!’ and whenever I asked what is that, she happily answered, ‘I want to be Dick’s bride!’ and I just laugh at her. She was over and above precious.”

Barbara’s eyebrows intertwined as she heard that.

“Your… bride?” she queried, demanding for confirmation. Dick nodded.

“She used to yearn to be my bride,” he added whilst chuckling and Barbara knitted her brows even more.

“Perhaps that’s why she looks so mad after I came here? Damian’s falling for you and she considered my sudden presence irritates her.”

“What?” Dick startled. "That's out of the question! She’s my sister and that’s only a kid’s boasting.”

“Still—”

“There’s nothing to worry about, Babs. I’m her brother. There’s just no way that she’s serious about being my bride, especially she’s not a child anymore.”

And Barbara only nipped her bottom lip during the time that Dick proceeded his nonfiction touching on his dearest sister.

The sun was already setting when Damian reached the apartment after Jason had driven her home.

She unclosed the door and caught Barbara within her sight, sitting on the sofa.

“Hi, Babs,” she greeted her, and Barbara formed a smile.

“Hi, Damian. Dick let me know that you stayed over at Jason’s.”

Damian’s face turned red.

“Uh—yeah,” she reacted, did not know what to say to her just as the recollection of their lustful night popped in her mind all of the sudden. “Where’s Richard?”

“Take off to work. He said that he has to deliver a choreography today.”

“Oh, I see,” Damian voiced as she wend her way to her room.

But Barbara’s next words successfully stopped her steps.

“Damian. Do you love Dick?”

Damian’s heart felt like stopped for a second.

“W-what?” she responded as she turned around, put a squeeze on a smile to Barbara as she made an effort to hold back the quiver in her voice.

“Are you in love with Dick?"

Her heart was throbbing hard.

“What?” she added as he controlled her breath. Furthermore, the next second, she exploded in laughter.

A fake one, indeed.

“What are you saying? There’s no way that could happen, is there?”

Barbara appeared to be more loosen up than before, but still, her face tensed even for a little.

“But you are not related to him by blood, and Dick told me everything. About your childhood dream.”

Damian shared a quick look at her.

“Dream?” she asked, even though she knew where this conversation will be going.

“You used to have a thought to be Dick’s bride.”

And Damian’s facial expression darkened.

“What are you conveying—” she added. “I told you that it’s beyond the bounds of possibility, right?”

“But—"

“I’ve got a boyfriend!” Damian flight off the handle, resulted in Barbara to be taken aback.

“What?”

“I asserted I’ve got a boyfriend!”

Barbara gazed in disbelief.

“You might lie to m—”

“Fuck you!” Damian groaned then took off her shirt, showing Barbara all of the hickeys that Jason gave her last night.

“I’m positively Jason’s girlfriend! The reason why I stayed over at his place was that both of us had a passion to do lovemaking! Are you satisfied?!”

Barbara stunned.

“Y-yeah… I get the idea. Sorry, Damian.”

“Damn!” Damian shouted as she put her shirt again. “Just cut this nonsense already! There’s no way I love Grayson! You make me sick!” she declared then advanced to her bedroom and turned the key.

Damian sighed.

She deserved a Grammy for this.


	10. PIECE OF MEMORIES

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The collection of memories which Jason can never forget; about his past, about Damian.

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𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏, 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐'𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖

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_Gotham, years ago._

_Jason laid his eyes on the decoration lamp on the face of the building in awe. He never went to such a crowded place, where the audiences dressed formally. It was impressed him in a great measure in consequence of the fact that he has the impression to be like one of the opulent boys in Gotham at any time he eyed himself draped in an inky suit, despite it was not an untouched one. His father bought it second-hand._

_The economy was not stable after all._

_He rarely ate expensive foods, rarely played at the game centre after school nor hang out in a café since he did not have an amount of money. His mother everlastingly disciplined him to be prudent in handling the money on account of the difficulty of getting it. She always told him that he had to sacrifice his blood, sweat and tears to earn it._

_And Jason, be the well-behaved boy that his mother always wanted him to be, making it good. He never asked for an expensive toy or additional money for a hangout—he secretly kept the money given, saving them._

_That was the motive of why he was so excited this evening. First of all, tonight was the first time to wear a suit. Secondly, he had quality time with his parents and last but not least, he made it to watch a recital for the first time. He was beyond happiness since he took an interest in musical things._

_“Father, is Bruce Wayne will be there?” Jason threw out a question and Willis responded to it with a laugh._

_“Sorry, hero, but tonight is not Bruce Wayne’s time to shine. The night is the daughter's."_

_“Daughter?” Jason fluttered his eyes for specific times. “I never knew that Bruce Wayne has a daughter.”_

_“Oh, he has,” Willis put it into words whilst winking. “And she is his biological child. You could think about how astonishing she will be. Bruce Wayne never failed to raise his child. He was capable of making both Dick Grayson and Tim Drake sound like his own son—infinitely ingenious. That’s why a lot of people come to her recital. They are nothing but as curious as I am.”_

_Jason nodded as he took a glance to the huge poster which stood right near the entrance door, revealing a little girl who holds her violin._

_Damian Wayne, the poster announced._

_“I'm inquisitive of how great is she,” Jason made his declaration at the same time when he was smiling; widely. “She can’t let you down.”_

_“Oh, I feel certain she won’t,” Willis field the question. “She is Bruce Wayne’s biological daughter after all!”_

_Jason’s parents were a zealot for Bruce Wayne. They thought of him as a cool and wise man. No wonder seeing that Bruce Wayne was the pride of Gotham. He received various awards and he married one of the most famous actresses, Talia al Ghul. The husband and wife engaged in some philanthropies and the most notable one was when both of them chose to legally care for Dick Grayson and Tim Drake then transform them into discerning and wonderful boys; Dick the little Dancer and Tim the young Pianist._

_That made his parents adored Bruce Wayne more._

_It similarly went to Jason. He admired Bruce Wayne, admired Talia al Ghul, admired Dick and Tim until he swore that he will be on the same degree as them so he can make his parents proud._

_Minutes later, the revolving door was accessible. The crowd walked inside, and Jason cannot hold his admiration anymore._

_The hall was colossal!_

_And he cannot believe that girl so tiny was able to hold a concert in a hall like this._

_He cannot wait for her performance._

_Around fifteen minutes they waited for the recital to begin, and finally, Bruce Wayne stepped out on the stage, bowing deeply to the audiences._

_“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” Bruce conveyed with his powerful voice. “Tonight, was the night which I’ve always dreamed of. The night when the young generation appears to the surface to exhibit, to prove that they are competent in extravagant matters, especially when this night is relative to my daughter. She practised for hours, days, weeks, months, years for this night to come. Allow me to introduce to you, Damian Wayne, my daughter.”_

_The room filled with the sound of applause and the girl finally showed up._

_Jason’s eyes developed, became bigger._

_She was so tiny. He started to think about what age is she. Perhaps six? Or seven?_

_The girl stared at the crowd with a smile carved on her beautiful face. It made a show of her who was not scared even though a lot of eyes are looking at her._

_She was so brave._

_“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Damian Wayne. I hereby declare that I am going to present to you Niccolò Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in A minor,” little Damian announced and exhaled deeply soon after before she was on feet in her position, properly holding the violin._

_She closed her eyes for a second ere started to fiddle, causing in everyone watched her in wonder._

_Her fingers traversed in unison with the bow, like wildfire yet unblemished._

_Jason’s eyes fixed on her, watching every move she made._

_Beautiful._

_Perfect._

_Magnificent._

_Paradisiac._

_Beyond comparison._

_And another thousands of words unspoken._

_Jason solely praised her at heart._

_Damian Wayne._

_He will remember that name._

_And, when the next day came, Jason saw her face filled every front page of Gotham’s newspapers with a various headline and he came to the conclusion that now Gotham called her as the Princess of Wayne and the boy could not agree more for he can remember well how amazing she was on that stage noting that last night was her debut._

_No wonder. She was Bruce Wayne’s daughter after all, he mumbled._

_Zero had changed after the nighttide with the exception of Jason became Damian’s admirer. He had a new dream beside standing on the same ladder with Dick Grayson and Tim Drake; he also had the desire to become Damian’s companion when she fiddled her violin._

_That was the reason why he was eager to increased tightening his belt._

_He must have his own instrument in hand._

_One day, a schoolteacher gave a command to the students to write down regarding the individual that they think highly of and Jason stuffed his paper as he assembled a tender expression on his attractive face._

**_Somebody whom I adore is Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s daughter._ **

**_She can bow her violin wonderfully and not in my life I ever saw anybody who could play better than her._ **

**_I could say that she is Paganini himself._ **

**_If Paganini is still breathing, I am sure that he will be proud of her, exactly like I do._ **

**_Damian Wayne is beautiful._ **

**_She has that exotic, pretty skin as well as the pair of green—jade eyes who can shimmer gorgeously._ **

**_Definitely from her mother._ **

**_She is my inspiration._ **

**_My motivation to pursue my dream to be an instrumentalist._ **

**_One day, I’ll walk beside her._ **

**_I’ll be the accompaniment when she is playing her violin._ **

**_I’ll tell her how much I adore her._ **

**_And I'll express my gratitude for her because she brings the whole idea of why I should chase my dream._ **

**_I’ll become a suitable companion for Damian Wayne._ **

_Since that day, the indomitability inside him became stronger._

_He often took a side job. Anything, whether being a cashier at a minimarket, a waiter or just helping an old-man to look after his garden, he will take all of them._

_Down to the day when his parents were murdered._

_It was a windy, rainy night when a bunch of strangers broke into his house. His mother carried him to the upper story, to lock him within doors in the time that his father attempted to negotiate with them. He kept throwing questions on the way._

_Who are they?_

_Why father did not string along with us?_

_Why—_

_A gunshot detected._

_“Fuck!” his mother screamed then ran downstairs, only to found her husband lying helplessly._

_Jason, who followed his mother shortly after, gaped his jaws as he saw his father's dead body._

_Blood has stained the carpet._

_Willis Todd was dead._

_He watched her mother had an argument with the strangers, and he came up with a conclusion._

_His father was out of line; a criminal._

_He worked with a drug syndicate and almost leaked about their existence._

_That was why his father was killed._

_Everything was so fast until he heard a second gunshot—_

_—and watched his mother falling down._

_Jason cannot speak his piece._

_His breath caught._

_“You are Jason, I believe,” expressed one of the unknowns, and Jason cannot provide an answer but look fixedly at them with tears falling down his cheeks._

_“We just warn you for the last time. Run, before I set this house on fire.”_

_Got the picture that he cannot do anything, Jason ran out of the house. He was sobbing—crying from his lungs for he was not able to save his parents._

_He kept whimpering the word ‘sorry’ as he ran past the crowds, had no idea of where should he go._

_He was all alone right now._

_Days came to pass._

_He became one with the rats in Gotham’s alleys._

_Jason tried everything that he could to cope with hunger; worked on the day and became a thief at the night._

_Until one stormy night, the attempt to steal some foods from a minimart was unsuccessful. People around there were beating the shit out of him. He was nearly to be reported to the police if he did not manage to escape from that area, leaving the bruises all over his face and body._

_He kept running down the alleys in Gotham city while avoiding the pursuit of the rampaging mob, until a hand pulled him towards another one, taking him to escape._

_It was a girl. Little girl._

_“… who are you?” Jason asked while panting as they run fast and the girl only snapped, “can we talk about it later?!” causing him to shut up._

_It took quite a long time for them to fully escaped, and both of them were gasping for breath when they did._

_“Darn—it’s so far,” Jason said and the girl next to him only took a glance at him, making Jason realized of who is she._

_Damian Wayne._

_Jason’s eyes became bigger._

_“Y-you—”_

_“Here, take my bread,” she said as she tossed the bread to him, cutting him off unconsciously. “I’ll only help you for one time because I know that you are hungry, but don’t repeat the same action. It’s atrocious.”_

_Jason took his head down, feel embarrassed to be caught stealing by the person whom he admired._

_“I’m sorr—”_

_“My family runs a foundation that supports some orphanages. You should go to one of them.”_

_“I—”_

_“I have to go. Eat the bread,” she said then disappeared at the turn of the alley._

_“My name is Jason—” he said to himself in a hushed tone then shaped a delicate smile to the spot where she fled._

_“You are truly an angel. Thank you, Damian Wayne.”_

The bell chimed, causing Jason to awake.

He sighed.

The beautiful yet traumatize dream that reminded him of why he loved Dami in the first place.

The collection of memories which he can never forget.

The bell rang once more.

He groaned.

“Yeah, yeah. Wait for a second,” he yelled as he got off the bed. He walked towards the front door then opened it.

His eyes widened when he saw who the guest was.

Tim Drake.

He threw a smile at Jason.

“Hi, Jason. It’s been a long time.”

“Tim.”

“Should I congratulate you on being my sister’s boyfriend?”


	11. FRAGMENTED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's words have been quite annoyed Jason lately, making him think about a decision he might regret.

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𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎

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Jason stowed a cup of coffee on the table, precisely in front of Tim, giving rise to the young man to express friendliness. It had been about half an hour Tim had come to his apartment and their conversation was about Tim's college life and Jason's life, more precisely because they both miss each other, even though they did not say it clearly. However, they knew that.

Jason asked what was the cause of Tim did not revisit Gotham after a few semesters and Tim replied that there was nothing more he had to do while Dick took Damian away to Blüdhaven.

"You could say I didn't want to be lonely there," Tim said with a laugh and Jason joked with the accusation, 'Come on, just tell me you have a girlfriend in Cleveland', causing Tim to burst out laughing. Nevertheless, Tim set his head in motion and made a declaration that he could impossibly have a soft spot for someone besides his first love, which no one knew who Tim was touching on to.

Actually, Tim's first love was Piano. He was never interested in love life—or it might be not yet—because at whatever time he saw a girl, his heart not in the least moved like how the way people said when they were in love.

Tim thought maybe he will not marry anyone other than his job.

Damian alone was vexatious enough; makes his heart twitch when the girl is not home when it is night already or when the girl is not feeling well as well as shedding tears as a result of something. All he needed to do was take care of Damian, in case she could not endure living with Dick because, in the end, Tim would take her away if something like that happened.

He had no choice but to be prepared to take charge of Damian's life at any time. He did not have time to think about other girls.

Till Tim had finished his coffee, he questioned, which was enough to make Jason's heart on the verge of jump out.

“Since when did you date Damian?” Tim asked with threatening eyes and Jason had it down pat of why it occurred.

Tim just wanted to make sure that whoever the guy his sister was dating is the right guy.

Jason sighed as he smoothed his hair.

"The day when Damian's recital was held. You came, Tim. It's merely that you hurried back to Cleveland after it was done."

"Oh, there's a test on the next day. That's the reason why I was hasting," replied Tim.

"She asked me to be her boyfriend."

"I have knowledge of it."

Jason frowned.

"Hence why did you pick my brain, you ninny!" he vociferated while volleying a pillow at Tim's face, which Tim managed to dodge uncomplicatedly. The young man sighed before saying, "I just want to hear it from your side. I've given an audience to Damian's."

Jason sighed.

"She solicited me to be her boyfriend as soon as she went backstage. She kissed me too. How could I say no?" Jason verbalized and Tim just replied, "It's owing to you take an interest in her from the start", leading to Jason gasped in surprise.

"How much do you actually know?" he asked and Tim just shrugged his shoulders.

"I know a lot more than you surmise and I know that you were being stupid by accepting Damian."

Jason tittered, unconvincing and a little pushy. His eyes stared in surprise at Tim who had just leaned back and looked at Jason with a flat, emotionless gaze.

"What does that mean?" Jason asked.

"You know she doesn't love you. Why are you pushing yourself? You're not a masochist, aren't you?"

Jason gnashed his teeth as he clenched his palms under the table tightly. His eyes turned sharp; ferocious, as if ready to pounce on Tim at any time.

"I have no clue what you're talking about. You-"

"You know she loves Dick because she told you everything—about her past, how and why she loves Dick," Tim paused. "It is love that had been nurtured for years. Dick is her first love. You know that love like that is very hard to forget and she asked you to be her boyfriend anon posterior to the moment she discovered that Dick and Barbara belong to each other. Don't you think that you are just being used as an outlet?”

Jason closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

"I know," he muttered, then opened his eyes. "I FEEL CERTAIN OF IT!"

He screamed. His eyes stared at Tim in frustration, making Tim frown in pity.

"Indeed, I know that, Tim," he uttered, riveting his gaze in the direction of through to Tim's eyes. "But I love her and you don't know how much I love her. I know she loves Dick. I know, but all I have to do is be patient."

"I never conjure up you would be this stupid, Jason."

"I know. That's the motive of why I tricked myself, Tim. I tried to pretend I didn't know that. So why are you keen to make it clear to me even more?" Jason snorted. "I owe everything to Dami. I love her, Tim. I just love her."

“BUT SHE DOESN’T LOVE YOU! SHE LOVES DICK!” Tim shouted.

His mien indicated a splenetic outburst which he showed a second ago.

"I hate seeing annoying things like this. You can't stay under the shadow of Dick Grayson forever! Damian doesn't have it bad for you. Wake up, Jason Todd! You can't just be patient and self-possessed. You have to make her loves you too. Make my simpleminded sister contemplate!" Tim groaned. "You are all so frustrated that I came to Gotham this holiday season even though I hate it here.”

Tim rose from his chair.

"Did Damian tell you that she passed Cleveland Institute of Music's online entrance examination last month? Did she let you know about her plan to say goodbye to Gotham and the reason why she wants to live with me there?"

Jason's eyes widened.

"She's going to go to Cleveland?"

Tim sighed.

"See? You're not that important to her, Jason. You can't go on like this. Make her think that what she's doing is wrong. Your relationship is rotten from the takeoff. Everything is wrong from the start," he said then walked away from Jason's apartment, leaving Jason sitting pensive, trying to digest the words that had just left Tim's mouth.

Jason guffawed, dejectedly.

"So, I took the wrong steps, huh?"

He closed his eyes.

“Damian Wayne... truly a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

From that day on, Jason was out of the ordinary. He bought so much liquor that his bandmate, Roy Harper, could only sigh heavily.

He had asked what happened yet Jason solely replied that this had nothing to do with anyone except himself, drawing on Roy conjectured that Jason might felt melancholy.

He frowned.

The reason was, this was the first time Jason was like this and Koriand'r, the vocalist, told him not to bother Jason at this time.

Days flew by without Jason seeing Damian. They just sent messages to each other, even though it was Jason who started it more often, making Tim's words on the other day haunt his head even more.

On the other hand, his cigarette addiction was increasing. Jason was frustrated, so frustrated. He wanted to be mad to Damian, but he was just not able to for he could not see the girl crying.

Until he heard that his smartphone rang.

Damian called.

Jason got on the line and heard Damian's request for them to meet at a café. Without hesitation, Jason agreed to the request. He lost no time, walked to the bathroom to washed his face then changed outfits and put on his beloved sepia leather jacket. He also put a pack of cigarettes in his pocket while taking his helmet and motorcycle key.

Jason never tried to look good; he was the complete opposite of Dick Grayson.

To tell you the truth, Jason was largely jealous of Dick. That young man was handsome, popular with girls, famous, kind and most importantly, he was liked by Damian Wayne. Meanwhile, let us took a glance at Jason. He was not popular with girls and popular with men instead, not in romance, but friendship, and he was not as lionized as Dick. He was just a drummer and the leader of an underground band called The Outlaws.

Ah, why does he keep comparing himself to Dick out of the blue these days? Really frustrating, he said at heart.

He left his apartment at once, rode his motorcycle to their meeting point.

It only consumed about quarter-hour from the apartment to the café. He immediately entered the building after placed his motorcycle in a parking lot. His eyes were seeking to find Damian and discovered the girl was sitting at the edge of the room.

Jason's heart throbbed.

Damian was physically attractive, remarkably beautiful that it caused his heart to hurt.

Jason walked over to Damian then sat across from the girl.

Oh—wait a minute. Jason realized something.

Damian's facial expression was gloomy.

At first, Jason thought that something must have happened in her apartment. Nevertheless, the unit of languages that Damian told him on the next moment was surprising him to some degree.

The girl said she will leaving Gotham next week, spend the summer in Cleveland with Tim while surveying how things are there and Jason just responded to it with a bitter laugh.

"Why didn't you communicate it to me from the square one, Dami?” he questioned. "I'm your lover."

Damian was quiet; speechless.

"I—"

"I was... unhappy when I found out that you are going to go into Cleveland from Tim."

"Tim?" Damian frowned then continue, "I'll be home soon, Jason. I purely will fly there for a brief time period and even when college has started, I could still come home every semester break."

"I am sad not because you are going to leave, but it's hurting me that I became aware of it because of other people, not from you."

Damian gasped then dropped her head.

"Forgive m—"

"Why did you demand me to be your romantic companion?"

Damian stared at him immediately.

"Pardon?"

Jason looked back at her with a sharp fixed stare.

"Why did you ask me to be your boyfriend?" he asked once again, and Damian bit her lower lip in a hard way. She repressed her tears as hard as she could.

"I..." she muttered quietly then looked at Jason with tears in her eyes. "I want to forget Grayson," she replied with a trembling voice. "I know that my feelings will never be returned, so I want to erase them. I believed if it's you, I could do it. I could forget Richard."

Jason exhaled heavily.

"I'm not that patient, Dami."

He took a glance at Damian.

"At first, I thought I could endure it, but you also need to know that I also have my limits," Jason rested for a while before taking a deep breath and then say, "let's break up."

Damian's eyes widened. Her palms were quivering and her breath felt like choking. She could not believe what she heard just now.

"What is it? Break up?"

Jason agreed.

"I know you don't love me. This relationship was wrong from the start. We both take advantage of each other. This is not a hearty, healthy relationship. I can't date you when your heart is still for Dick."

Damian shook his head.

"N-not at all—"

“Heal yourself, heal your heart and you have to know that you can come back to me anytime,” he cut off Damian’s words then forced a smile on his handsome face.

“I’ll always welcome you, Dami.”

For a moment, silence enveloped the two of them. Until Damian saw Jason who gave her a grin, made her heart aches.

“And then you can learn how to love me,” he said at the end.

And Damian could not hold back her tears any longer. Her tears spilt so badly to the point that they overflowed her cheeks.

“Why are you so kind to me?” she asked in the time that she was shedding bitter tears, made the words she uttered less clear. However, even so, Jason could hear it clearly, making himself threw a smile. He stretched out his arm, tenderly wiped Damian's tears as he voiced—

—“Because I do love you, Dami.”

Damian's eyes enlarged.

She proceeded to lay her eyes at Jason in unbelief.

"You—"

"Ah, I gotta go to the studio. Practising with The Outlaws," added Jason as he took his motorbike key. He stood up and smiled.

"Congratulations, you've been accepted to the Cleveland Institute of Music. You really make us proud, Dami."

With that, Jason left, leaving Damian who was sobbing even greater, uncaring about the strange glares that were given by the people nearby her.

For some reason hearing Jason said all of that, causing her heart to aches, notably, after she caught sight of Jason said it with a bitter mien. Maybe he thought he could hide everything, but he was wrong. Damian was able to recognize it. She could saw that Jason was also trying to hold back his sadness, just like what she did.

Damian lowered her head then bit her lower lip, trying her best to keep her tears to not resurface once more.

"I really don't deserve you, Jason Peter Todd."


	12. "STUPID SISTER"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian is very sad after the end of her relationship with Jason and Tim tries to put some sense into her.

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𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈? 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚.

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"Be careful. Tim, please take care of Dami, okay?"

Tim made a gesture with his head and let a smile flew at both Talia and Bruce.

"I'll take care of her. Don't worry your head about something."

This morning, the airport looked quite crowded. The atmospheric conditions were also surpassingly supportive of departures. Everything was bright, except for the look on Damian's face which she had been hiding from the start—by kept her head down and deliberately put on a hat to help her hide her gloom. Even in the time being, she did not put on any makeup on purpose. It felt like there was no reason to use it for she did not have someone to make an impression to.

It felt empty.

"Dami," called Dick, bringing Damian out of her reverie thus kept an eagle eye at the man.

"Yes?"

Dick breathed out heavily then lightly messed Damian's hair up.

"Don't fight with Tim all the time. Be warm to each other. You depend on him there."

Damian laughed.

"What the heck? It's not like I'll be gone for all time. I'll just be away for just a little while until summer ends."

"Still and all, I'm worried."

Damian shut her mouth.

It's unaccountable.

Why don't I feel any flutter?

Where did the butterflies go?

"I get along with her better than you know, Dick. Just relax and don't panic," Tim verbalized, who had succeeded in causing Damian's head trip to an end.

Damian set her eyes on Tim who unexpectedly hooked his hand to hers at once and said, "It's time to go. Come on, Dami."

For a brief time, Dami let go of Tim's hand then traipsed against Bruce and Talia. She hugged them tightly.

"I'm leaving," she spoke softly.

Everyone was silent when they saw Dami as if she did not want to let go of their arms, making both Talia and Bruce smile gently.

"You didn't cling to us like this in a long time, Dami," said Bruce. Damian made a smile.

"That's because you two are extremely causing irritation," she replied while letting the hug go, but still, Talia embraced her again and then remarked, "hurry home. Don't be too long. I also crave to waste the hot season of the year alongside you."

"Mother, you won't share her for me?" protested Dick, making everyone laugh.

"Gosh, Richard," Damian radiated a smile as she pulled herself away from Talia. She walked over to Dick and kissed him on the cheek.

A happy expression was etched on Dick's majestic face soon afterward. He gave it as Damian looked him in the eye.

"It's for the last time," she said as she caressed Dick's cheek, creasing Dick's forehead a little. "You have to be careful. Don't do anything irresponsible with Barbara while I'm not close at hand,” she added, then came nearer to Tim and took his hand and, a second later, they both waved goodbye.

"Last time?" asked Tim when they were far enough, sneering. "Seriously?"

"Be quiet, Drake. I'm serious this time."

"Why?"

"I realized that this shouldn't be and I... lost something because of it."

“Oh~ Jason?”

“Tt—can you just shut up?”

And Tim persisted to josh Damian throughout the journey to the plane.

Their flight did not take much time. They also did not talk much when they were on the plane. Damian insisted on exchanging seats with Tim who fortuitously got a seat by the window and Tim, lazy to argue, just raised his hands in resignation and gave the girl what she wanted.

During the trip, Damian was silent, staring at the clouds. She did not sleep at all and for Tim, he did close his eyes although his mind was very awakened. He could feel that his younger sister was crying silently.

Two days ago, she came home. Not to the apartment, but the manor. Alfred who opened the door was really surprised to find that Damian was crying loudly. Such a rare sight. Alfred grilled, about what was it that made her down and it caught the attention of Bruce, Talia and Tim who were getting dinner. The three of them hurriedly went to the front door and discovered the figure of Damian crying bitterly with their own eyes. Bruce, as a father who witnessed his daughter weeping like that, approached Damian earlier than Talia. He even ran to hug the girl.

"What is wrong?" asked Bruce agitatedly. "What's wrong, Damian? State it!"

However, Damian did not answer at all. The girl merely shook her head and retained to made sad sounds. Finally, after a few minutes later, they led Damian to her bedroom and while everyone was left, determined to leave Damian alone, Tim stayed there. He continued to stare at Damian with a serious gaze, keeping an eye at the girl who was still crying even though her eyes were already swollen. Tim moaned in despair then walked over to Damian, chucked her hair smoothly.

"Hey, princess. What's wrong?" Tim questioned, but then heaved an aghast sigh as Damian held his waist so close and tight, hiding her face in Tim's abdominal region.

"Tim, I'm bad. I'm so mean," she spoke hoarsely in the middle of her cry and Tim grasped it mentally which way this dialogue was faring. He then sat beside the girl as he continued to hug her.

"Concerning Jason?"

And Damian hit Tim hard in the chest.

"Why did you say to him that I'll go? I would have told him. Why are you like that? He was disappointed with me!" she yelled as she kept banging on Tim's chest. Tim just looked at her flatly.

"What's your point?” he asked.

Hearing that, Damian looked at Tim in disbelief.

"You're mean, do you understand? Because of you, Jason broke up with me. We broke up, goddammit!"

And the girl's tears fell again.

"Our relationship is ended, Tim. I broke up with him," she said while sobbing. "This is all because of you."

"Didn't you say you don't love him? It shouldn't matter if you two broke up. Besides, Jason... how unlucky. You're just making him as an outlet."

"I wasn't making him as an outlet?! I was... solely attempting to get over Grayson."

"By making Jason your lover."

Damian became clammed up.

"Do you know what you did to him was really mean? You made Jason took over Dick's place when Jason loves you wholeheartedly."

Damian lowered his head.

"I didn't mean to cause him pain... I—"

"You are selfish, Damian. You only think of your own feelings."

Damian startled.

"Jason ended your relationship not because of me, but because of you. Stop finding fault with others and start learning to reflect on yourself."

"I have no idea why I'm like this," expressed Damian. "I'm confused. I don't know what kind of depression it is. Is it because our relationship ended, or because I realized I hurt Jason? I didn't know that hurting Jason means hurting myself."

Tim continued to look at Damian's face.

"I also realise that I don't love him, but hearing him offered a break up... my heart really hurts, Tim. I dunno what's wrong with me," Damian delayed for a bit, wiping her tears. "During the time as his girlfriend, this is the first time he's making me cry. He's a little… offbeat. He always and always managed to make me laugh when my mood ain't good. It seems that Jason has 1001 unique ways to make me happy," she carried on with a smile on her face.

"You're smiling," said Tim as he grinning, causing Damian's face shifted its colour into red right away.

"Who is smiling?! Are you unsighted?" she jolted. However, Tim just kept on smiling and said, "go ahead".

Her lips puckered.

"I sense lost. Either because of the memories that we shared together or because of other things," she continued, causing Tim to raise an eyebrow.

"You put that into words as if you two have been in a deep relationship."

"Maybe? I had sex with him."

Tim choked.

"W-what? You? With Jason?"

Damian looked at her brother with an astonished look.

"Why the hell not? And can you just act normal?"

"No—no! You—did he forces you?"

Damian shook her head.

"No. I was the one who wanted it."

"Why?"

Damian bit her lower lip.

"Don't ask me! I think I just felt... annoyed. He was not under any condition touched me a single hair! I was starting to wonder if I'm any less attractive or... Nah—I didn't know. By any means, I was whit uncomfortable because he's so distanced."

"You wanted to do that not because of Dick and Barbara? Not because you were jealous?"

"Huh?" Damian frowned. "What are you saying? I didn't even think about the two of them. I was just contemplating about why Jason didn't want to make physical contact with me as most lovers do. Is that also wrong?"

"No, sure as hell it's not wrong," answered Tim while wobbling his hand in a fast way. He stood up from his seat on the next second then looked at Damian with a smile carved on his face.

"It's pleasant to watch you hang your tears up when you told me about him. You immediately smiled, you know. Well, I've got hands on the answer, which you may not pick it up yet. You do need a vacation. Shut your sadness down and better start packing your things. I have promised to take you on vacation to Cleveland."

And Damian said yes.

"And you can think of what steps you should take next," added Tim, made a further comment as he moved forward outside the room, leaving Damian alone. 

'Well, it appears that it's better this way,' thought Tim at a moment he returned from his mind trip. 'Let Damian clear her mind then make her decide the best course of action.'

Tim unclosed his eyes, viewed at Damian who had not moved at all—staring at the clouds.

Tim formed a faint smile.

'You love Jason, you stupid little sister.'


	13. ANDANTE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of Andante, where this time it is Damian who determines the continuation of her relationship with Jason.

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𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑺𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆, 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆.

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This time off was not as animated as it should have been, causing Tim could not help but breathed out heavily every time Damian walked her back to his to prevent the girl from observing how frustrated he was. Tim thought that this was for the best. He could not give the impression of his weakness toward Damian. If he was also weak, who will look after her? That was what he stayed muttering every time after sundown, as a reminder. If he could be honest, he was very tormented to see Damian gloomy like this, even though this was the holiday she had been waiting for. It was the girl's goal that she would study in the same place as Tim and Tim was genuinely knowledgeable that Damian carried a feeling of veneration for him in her heart, regardless of the fact that she did not actively exhibit it at all. Instead, she acted the opposite, like hating Tim. Tim was uncertain, but conceivably, this happened owing to he continually bothered the girl. Also, the girl was annoyed that Tim seemed to know her every secret even though she never once told him. Well, his kid sister was nothing else but stupid. She was not very good at hiding things from him. She needed to realize that Tim prized her and regarded her highly forevermore.

Indeed, it seemed unlikely that Tim would honestly say that he loved Damian because Tim was not someone who would show his affection through words. According to him, it was a laughable thing that could make the hair on everyone's neck get ready to stand on end. He was not good at saying things that sound like flirting or ruffling or whatever is on your mind. He was dissimilar from Dick and every person should understand that.

If he could be more honest than this, he tried hard to become a great pianist and composer like Bruce so people would stop seeing him as 'the little brother of Dick Grayson'. Well, he was not be able to truly ascribe Dick for that either now that it was his true ability to magnetize the hearts of many and he also could not blame Damian for putting her heart on Dick because he was very kind and charming. Who does not hold Dick Grayson dear, anyway? He was handsome, kind, charming, talented, humble and has never once abused his status as 'son of Bruce Wayne' to get things easily. Tim still kept in mind the event of that day, the day Bruce and Talia rode him, Dick and Damian, to the orphanage owned by Bruce's late mother. At that time, Tim could see the look on Dick's face, which turned gloomy every time he met the kids, although in the end he would smile and play with them. Still, Tim apperceived that he thrusted the smile. Tim might be a little different from Dick because he did not bother playing with the kids. No, it was not like he believed that they were not worthy to play with him. He just did not know what to act like, because the proof, all he did was make Damian angry. Thus, he conceived that he feasibly just did not have the ability to interact with minors as Dick did. Ah, even to interact with kids his age, Tim could not do it as well as Dick. On the contrary, Tim was a sensible person after all for he noticed a child who was watching them from a distance, or Damian, for the detail. He was not entirely sure of what was keeping him from stepping closer. However, again, he was beaten by Dick because Dick had already approached the boy, which meant that Dick had noticed his whereabouts long before Tim realized about the kid. It was not a surprise since Dick was actually a person who has concern at the highest levels since Dick understood what it was like to lose parents like them. Therefore, at least, Dick had a feel of need to give a portion of happiness he received from Bruce and Talia with the tots.

Dick halted his steps square behind the boy, while his hands started to move forward to tap him on the shoulder and Tim was capable of precisely remember the shade of Dick's voice smoothly greeting him.

"Hey, why don't you come to play?" he asked and the boy looked at Dick with a surprised face. Tim was frightened to a certain extent when he arrived at them by reason that he could discover that the pickney had been through a lot. He also noticed the scars that had not completely faded in several parts of his body; wrist, lower calf, neck and slightly at the nape. Tim knitted his brows when he caught that they were cut and tear wounds that might be treated well by the orphanage. Instantly the child's face changed, calmer, but as if afraid of something.

"You are not supposed to touch me like this. You're Dick Grayson," he replied, making Tim could not help but smile.

'Oh, this kid is shy, I understand,' he formatted it inside his mind. 'It seems like this kid thinks we are from different classes and thinks he is not worthy to interact or play with Dick.'

"What kind of blether is that?!" uttered Dick then formed his attention to the book that the boy had in his hand.

"What is that?" he asked. "Can I see it?"

However, the boy threw Dick's hand and hid the book behind his back. His face was turning to a colour of blood and his mien revealed that he was pretty abashed. Tim raised an eyebrow, thinking that the boy's reaction was attractive, but was reluctant to say a word.

"No! I won't let anyone see it!" exclaimed the boy, making Dick put on a disappointed face.

"Why?" he sought the answer to the boy and the boy bit his lower lip.

"I won't, by virtue of it is not indefectible and I haven't fully mastered it either. I'm still a novice. You won't find anything interesting in it!"

Dick's orbs lit up.

"Ah! So, you created something! I want to see it!"

The boy hid his book more and more behind his back.

"No!"

"Take it easy," Tim made a declaration. "We promise not to share the contents with anyone."

In spite of the fact that the boy expressed his uncertainty, he allowed Dick looked into the book. Dick, who explored the contents of the book, could only be stunned. The book made up of several pieces of information regarding music that is more to drum, for instance, the parts of the drum kit, the equipment, how to hold the sticks and the like. Dick, who did not know anything about music, just laughed awkwardly.

"You are fond of music, don't you? You're just like Tim and my little sister," he said while handing the book to Tim. "Because Tim comprehends better, I guess it is more suitable for Tim to observe the contents."

Tim just rolled his eyes and took the book then looked at its contents. "So, you have a yen to beat the drums?" Tim inquired, to which the boy approved.

"Yeah. I really want to be able to play the drums."

"Why?" Tim queried again.

"Because I want to be someone's companion."

And when Dick was on the brink to respond to the boy's reply, scads of children called him to return to have fun, getting him, like it or not, leave the boy with Tim following him turned over an apologetic smile to them. A second later, Dick returned to play with them, causing Tim to sighed with a smile.

"I'm truly sorry. Dick is popular with a lot of people."

The boy grinned. This was the first time Tim had seen him smile.

"Never mind," he answered. "I already know that. You have no reason to eat humble pie."

Tim giggled as he stole a glance at him.

"What do you call yourself?" questioned Tim.

"Jason. Jason Peter Todd for the detail."

"Jason, huh?" said Tim, echoing Jason's utterance. "My name is Tim, Timothy Jackson Drake."

Jason gave Tim a snickering laugh.

"I know. I am one of your fans. You are wonderful at playing the piano. I saw you performed on TV."

"Oh, don't go into that one. That's causing me a mental discomfort."

Subsequent to that encounter, Dick and Tim had been coming to the orphanage more frequently to have a good time with the kids, say the least for this, it was Dick who coveted it. For Tim, he spent more time with Jason, who did not want to play with the other children. The boy was already taken to his book and sometimes questioned Tim for supplementary knowledge in respect to music, which Tim unhesitatingly gave him the feedback.

The three of them grew closer, like siblings. After the other children at the orphanage were bushed of romping, Dick would converge on Tim and Jason to jaw together, even playing in the garden with them from time to time. The matrons were wholly in seventh heaven with the appearance of Dick and also Tim, who muddled through Jason's happiness. According to the matrons, after Jason was escorted to the orphanage by two police officers, he never mingled with the other children. Jason was everlastingly cheerless and all of the matrons could not even get around him. Bruce, realizing that Dick was becoming a frequent visitor to the orphanage, asked Dick one afternoon about his reasons for visiting the orphanage so often. Dick answered, in his natural upbeat sound, that he was pleased by the orphanages and hanker after sharing the laughter he had with them. However, Dick paused for a moment, then said, "I met a kid. He's younger than me but older than Tim. His name is Jason. I have no idea, but I can sense that he's been through difficult times. I feel like I have to make him laugh.”

Bruce, who listened to that, chuckled.

"Looks like you really like this kid named Jason," he said.

"Of course!" answered Dick. "He is also very talented! He is learning how to drum. I'm sure he will be a great drummer!"

"Is that a fact?" Bruce asked while caressing Dick's hair and Dick just nodding his head. The older then smiled at Talia and the woman agreed. Understanding that, Bruce focused on Dick.

"Shall we adopt Jason?" Bruce offered.

And it admittedly made Dick over the moon. Tim had never seen Dick this happy. Well, given that Dick has a lot of affinity with others, it looked like Jason be a part of this house will be a delight for him inasmuch in he can create a laugh for Jason more often.

And getting closer to Jason, Tim realized one thing.

Jason was sweet on Damian.

He realized that from the way Jason looked at Damian from a distance.

A gaze that was filled with adoration.

And what Jason had in mind by him desiring to be a companion for someone—that 'someone' was Damian. Jason was dying for being Damian's companion and consequently making Tim at no time concurred to the idea that Bruce wished for Jason to be his foster child. Maybe Dick did not realize it at all, but for Tim, it was like killing half of Jason's dream and Tim could not do it. Also, he was certain that Jason would reject the overture. And on the night where Jason was officially reunited with Damian and at a dinner where Bruce formally offered Jason to be his adopted son, Jason refused, just as Tim had predicted. Despite the fact that Jason in no way informed anyone concerning his motives for declining the offer, Tim grasped it very well.

It was all because he loved Damian.

For Jason, the most difficult situation for him was being a big brother to Damian, despite he could remain by her side on any occasion he fancied. And if Tim was faced with a choice like Jason, he will choose what Jason have chosen.

Tim chuckled softly as he got on return from a flashback in his mind.

It was right what Damian declared.

Jason was one-off.

He chose a unique way to be Damian's companion. If the violin, as is the custom, play with a piano, hence Jason selected a pretty much opposite path; drum.

Both of his eyes stared at Damian who had been gloomy all this time, but her glance seemed to show that the girl was thinking hard.

Tim laughed softly.

He stepped towards the girl and sat next to her.

"Why don't you drink your tea? Look, the tea is cold by this time," voiced Tim, to which Damian did not say in response completely. The girl just fixed her gaze on the tea in front of her with a slightly blank look. The tears were plainly not hidden on her cheeks.

Tim sighed.

"You can't proceed like this. Last night you didn't finish your spaghetti. I worked very hard to make it, don't you see?"

This time, Damian seemed to respond, even though it was just her biting her lower lip. Not in a pitiless way.

"Tim," she called, causing Tim's hand to gently stroke Damian's hair.

"Why?”

"I'm afraid."

"Afraid because of?"

Damian took a look at Tim but Tim could not read the look on her face at this time.

"I'm in a blue funk when the thought of Jason will give up on me crosses my mind.”

"Why do you think like that?"

"I—I'm just scared. Even though Jason said he'd wait and I could come to him anytime, but if I come back too long, I'm afraid he'll give up—"

Damian repressed her tears.

"—and maybe he'll find someone better than me."

Tim grinned. He moved his hands non-stop, playing with Damian's hair gently.

"Why didn't you decide to believe in him?"

"I trust him, Tim, but I'm nervous in one way or another."

A moment of silence enveloped the two of them, until finally Damian firmly said, "Tim, I'm going to Gotham now."

Tim broadened his eyes.

"Huh? Seriously? Like... now?"

Damian nodded.

"I can't make him wait too long. Book me a plane ticket. I hope for seeing Jason."

"But—"

"Right now, Tim!"

"Aaaah—you're crazy! Okay, okay! I'm buying it now!" he exclaimed as he took his smartphone and did as Damian told him to. "I've got it. Better get ready quickly! The flight is in a couple of hours and don’t bring your luggage because I know you’ll ask for Jason to pick you up. Jason doesn’t own a car and you’ll live here, anyway."

And Damian's face turned brighter than before.

"Ay-ay! Captain!" She cried out and thence tore into their bedroom, leaving Tim behind on the sofa, still processing what was happening.

Damian quickly laid hold of her smartphone which was lying on the bed. Her fingers danced rapidly across the screen, looking for Jason's name in the contact list. She beamed with pleasure when she saw it then swiftly wrote a message for the youth.

'Jason,' she typed. 'I'll return Gotham in a couple of hours. Please pick me up. I have something to speak about. '

Sent.

Damian's heart was beating speedily. Her face turned red.

Ah—stupid, she thought.

She seemed just in love.

And perhaps if Tim could perceive that she mulled these kinds of things over, Tim would say, 'That's right. You're so smitten with Jason, you idiot. '

She will not give the green light to Tim to discover it!

Meanwhile, on the other hand, Jason, who was practising with The Outlaws and received the message, fell silent, surprised at Damian's request. His heart was as beat as Damian's.

"Damn it," he muttered, rubbing his rough face.

Time had passed and Damian was in the plane at present after she and Tim got involved in a little tiff; Damian who looked forward to coming back to Gotham and request to Tim to burn up the road and Tim assumed that Damian was overreacted. However, even though Tim escorted Damian with a sullen face, before Damian checked in, Tim grabbed Damian's arm and said that he hoped that this time Damian would do things right and not be reckless.

Tim's advice was still looping in her head; 'I'm actually very supportive of your relationship with Jason, so don't mess it up.'

Damian smiled softly.

Her connection with Tim was veritable deeper than it looks and she was well aware that Tim loved her very much.

Jason could not aim his attention to the practice all the way. His thoughts continued to drift to Damian, regarding what the girl wanted to say to him. Curious? Needless to say. Who does not ask themselves if their ex-girlfriend demands them to pick her up at the airport uttering that she has something to say?

Until Roy remained took a glance at him in irritation on account of Jason frequently performed some slip-ups concurrently with the practice and Jason only smiled widely and apologized to the rest.

He continued to practice while occasionally stealing glances at his watch, a little impatient to meet Damian at the airport later.

No, he did not want to take the risk of expecting anything. He just felt that he missed the girl after almost half a month. Missing her at most. He did not dare to hope, because deep down inside, he knew that it would not be easy for Damian to forget about Dick.

Ah—it will be delightful if you were aware of the reality, Jason.

The truth that the girl kept crying over you and regretting what she has done to you.

The seconds went by and the practice session was done as expected and the time was right for Jason to pick up Damian. Roy, Kori and their manager, Artemis Grace, decided to hang out for a bit before heading home, but Jason refused.

"I'm required to pick someone up," he added. "You guys have fun."

And in a few minutes, Jason was on his racing bike, speeding through the streets of Gotham towards the airport.

The streets were not very busy, which made Jason smile slightly.

He started to think en route.

Since Damian returned to Gotham, he had to take Damian away as a gift for her to become a new student of Cleveland Institute of Music. But where? To a beach that quite far from Gotham or to the food festival he saw in the flyer yesterday?

It seemed that he will pick option number two. Damian looked like she has been to the beach before, but never to a cheap food festival.

Jason giggled softly.

He will introduce to her of how delicious roadside foods are.

It was not long for Jason to came by the airport. He rushed to the arrivals area and waited anxiously for Damian there. He was nervous to meet up with the girl at another time after they parted.

And a little while later, after the plane that Damian was in had reportedly been landed, Damian appeared with a face of incredulity. She stood up, staring at Jason with the tears starting to resurface.

"Jason..." she ejaculated. "Jason—"

The girl raced towards the bulky guy, embraced him tightly, making him slightly astonished.

"Dami?" he called her.

Damian lifted her head, gazing at Jason with tears in her eyes.

"I miss you..." she said. "I miss you."

Jason's heart warmed the moment he heard that. He etched a grin, like a Chesire cat, but soft and warm.

"I miss you too, princess," he claimed, then frowned as he recognised something.

"Dami, you didn't bring anything?"

Damian swung his head left and right.

"No. I left my things in Tim's apartment. Besides, I'm going to live there while I go to college. Therefore, no trouble."

Hearing that, Jason nodded.

"Okay, where do you want me to drive you? Blüdhaven or Wayne manor?"

Damian was completely quiet for a minute.

"I don't want both,” she said.

Jason knitted his brows all the more.

"What? In that case, why did you come back?" he wanted to know, while Damian eyeballed at Jason steadily.

"There's something I want to talk to you about and I reluctantly going home," she gave utterance to him and took a deep lungful. "I want to be with you."

Jason's face heated. His heart was racing at this time. Peradventure _presto_? Well, he had no idea, but Jason was savvy that he had to hold her tightly in his arms without a doubt, regardless of anything.

"All right. Where do you desire to advance?"

"Anywhere that is far."

Jason travelled without direction, which was certain they departed from Gotham. Instantly Jason remembered his first plan of taking Damian to the beach. He also gave a brief look at the still girl, who was tightly holding his waist, from the rearview mirror.

Jason smiled.

The girl's long hair waved rapidly everywhere as a result of the intense breeze that touched her hair, causing the girl further charming in his eyes. Jason's face got even redder when he realized what was really going on.

Him, touring with Damian to a distant location, only the two of them, with Damian hugging his waist tightly.

Unexpected.

"Dami?" called Jason, interrupt the quietness in the middle of them.

"Why?" asked Damian.

"Want to stay overnight? At a hotel near the beach."

Damian's face turned red immediately.

"Uh—" she cleared her throat. "Okay."

Jason smiled broadly.

"Blessed! Hold on tight, because I'll take you at a higher speed."

Damian's optic opened up.

"What?! Are you mad?? You want to kill—"

"I crave to watch the sunset with you. So, don't protest."

And Damian's face was rufescent, even redder than a pomegranate.

"All right..." she replied.

"Good! Come on!" exclaimed Jason as he changed the speed of his motorcycle, making Damian shouted—

"TODD! I’LL KILL YOU!!!”

—and Jason just reacted to it with a laugh.

Their journey was filled with Jason's laughter and Damian's scolding.

Similar to the recollection of their past dates.

They got to the beach just before sunset and Jason could only smile proudly because he was able to get Damian there in time meanwhile Damian just had an annoyed face.

"You have nine lives, huh?"

"Don't get angry all the time. You'll sob at the moment when your face turns crummy."

"Shut up, Todd."

They eyed one another and laughed out loud after that.

"Damn it," Damian muttered, making Jason focus himself on the girl. Nevertheless, a moment later his eyes widened.

Damian was crying.

"Dami, why are you—"

"Damn you, Todd. You bewilder me. You make me cry, but you make me laugh too. You can continually make me guffaw when I'm unhappy. I hate you."

Jason went silent.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry, idiot?!" Damian cried out loud while punching Jason hard in the stomach, causing Jason bellowed in agony.

"It hurts, Dami!"

"I don't give a damn!"

"Evil.”

“Whatever the hell I want!"

Jason flashed a smile at Damian who continued to have an annoyed face. Damian was adorable. So cute, made him want to take a bite at the girl's cheek. Just at the very moment when Jason was on the verge of teasing Damian relating to it, Damian opened her sound, solemnly, the contrast from their confab second ago.

"Jason," she called, without looking at Jason. She totally stared at the sea surf.

"Hm?" Jason responded.

Damian squeezed a bit of the fabric from the mini-dress she had on within her fist.

"I'm sorry," she said, making Jason frowned a little.

"What for?"

"I've brought distress to you. I've hurt you a lot."

Jason's breath caught. He was definitely been hurt, but this was not what he wanted. He was not in the least have an inclination to Damian to ask for forgiveness like this.

"Dami, you don't have to—"

"I'm also remorseful for not realizing my feelings," Damian conveyed, intersecting Jason's words. "I should have noticed earlier."

Jason's eyes expanded.

"Dami, you—"

"I cherish you like nothing else, Jason."

And their eyes met.

"I love you, Jason. I love you."

Jason felt like he was dreaming.

What is it? Damian confessed to her?

Jason breathed out.

"Look, I don't want you to feel guilty with reference to what I spoke at that time. You don't need to rush. I'm aware that your feelings for Dick--"

"I don't like him anymore, Jason! I fancy you!"

Jason gaped.

He cannot vocalize a single word.

"Listen to me. Since the outset I began to get to be acquainted with you better, I feel pleasant at any time I am at your side. However, I cannot describe what kind of feeling is it. Natheless, the more days I am with you, I believe that I could stop thinking about Richard and I've never felt anything like this before. I beautify myself before your eyes since I felt that I got to manifest my best side if it's for you. I even prepared hours for our first date. At that moment, I didn't have the faintest idea of why I had a feeling that I should. I also do not know why I was so annoyed because you never touched me first. I was extremely annoyed when you did not lay your hand on me even for a single hair! I was even willing to let go of my virginity for you. The point is, I can entirely let Richard slip from my mind when I'm with you. "

Damian sighed.

"Then, when you asked to break up with me, I was become conscious of the fact that I love you."

"Dami..."

"Before I travelled to Cleveland, I tested myself by planting a kiss on Richard's cheek, but I didn't feel any throbbing or whatsoever. If it wasn't you, it felt like something was wrong."

The girl made a move in the direction of Jason, staring affectingly into his eyes.

"My admission to the Cleveland Institute of Music shows that I'm ready to turn over a new leaf. I want these layers to become full with beauteous notes. So, Jason—”

Damian sink her teeth into her bottom lip for one second.

“—is it too late if I want us to make everything up… slowly, like _andante_?”

Jason could do nothing but stare at her open-mouthed, disbelieving everything that came from her mouth.

It felt like a dream, anyway.

However, on the next second, Jason threw on a smile, grinning from ear to ear and Damian thought it was the most loving smile Jason had ever given her.

"Sure. Like _andante_ ," he said, making Damian hugged the muscular young man tightly.

Jason wrapped his arm around the girl's waist, while one hand gently stroked Damian's long hair. A smile never stopped radiating from his handsome face.

“It’s good to have you back, Dami, and I never stop loving you,” he said, to which Damian nodded back. Jason chuckled as he felt the girl's head move across his chest. Damian hugged him tightly as she buried her face in his chest.

Well, it should be like this.

Andante means moving at a walking pace.

They do not have to rush and run. Just fix things slowly as if they were walking, enjoying their time together.

Damian is Jason's, Jason is Damian's and it will always be that way.

“Dami.”

“Hm?”

“Maybe you knew me at dinner that night, but I knew you long before that."

Damian frowned.

"What? When?"

"Maybe you forgot, but you helped me in the alley that night and that was the day I fell in love with you."

"Alley?"

Instantly Damian widened his eyes.

"You're the kid who stole the convenience store?!"

"What? You remember it?"

"Of course. That was the only time I acted reckless, idiot."

Jason chuckled.

"But I admired you long before that."

"What?"

Jason stroked Damian's hair.

"No. Nothing.”

"Jason! Tell me!"

“No.”

"Jason!"

"I won’t.”

"Ugh—I hate you!"

"I love you more, Dami."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really grateful to the people who read this fic to the end. I really appreciate it! I'm also very grateful to you guys who encouraged me through comments. It really means to me and gives me courage. I also apologize for a lot of grammatical error or stuff like that because English is not my native language. I'll write more fics that are better than this, so thanks to everyone! I love you!


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